British Minister Says UK Facilitated Training, Supplied Equipment To SARS.
British Minister Says UK Facilitated Training, Supplied Equipment To SARS.
By Rowlandgate.
Responding to Osamor’s letter, Duddridge in a letter on Thursday speaking With Rowlandgate from Odogwublog.com by news men, said the British Government, through its Conflict, Stability and Security Fund trained SARS operatives and supplied some equipment to them.
Duddridge’s letter partly read, “Following my letter, officials have conducted a deep dive and reviewed our recent CSSF programmatic support to determine whether any of our programmes worked with SARS. Odogwublog.com
Following the review and in the interest of full transparency, I want to share the following information with you;
“Firstly, through our CSSF-funded Nigeria Policing Programme, which ended in March 2020, SARS officers participated in the training on amended Nigerian police guidance designed to improve human rights, training on public finance, and community policing workshops.
Secondly, through our support to the North East Public Safety and Security Programme (part of which is delivered jointly with USAID), radio equipment was issued to Borno Police Command by our implementing partner (Creative Associates) to increase coordination between police units working to improve local security and to counter violent extremist organisations. Borno Police Command distributed two handheld radios and a vehicle-mounted radio to SARS Unit.
These were returned and redistributed to other police units in Borno when SARS was disbanded on 11 October.”
The minister said the British Government was working with the Nigerian Foreign Affairs Ministry and other concerned authorities to support the Federal Government’s efforts to end police brutality and extrajudicial killings.
Duddridge also welcomed the Judicial Panels of Inquiry investigating human rights abuses by security agents in Nigeria including the shootings of #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos State.
