SARS, suspected internet fraudsters in Nigeria, the way forward

By Jude Opiah

The Special Anti-Robbery Squad in the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, has come under fire by members of the public nationwide.

Over the years, there had been cases of brute force by SARS officials on innocent citizens on the highways.

They often consider everyone who drives flashy cars as “internet fraudsters”. There is fear by the SARS on citizens.

Some SARS officials allegedly kill at will. Other times, they are alleged to frame citizens up and get them incarcerated.

They are also accused of dragging innocent citizens to Automated Teller Machines and withdraw huge amount of money for them before they are set free fences they never committed.

By the time they come in contact with the real internet fraudsters, they are afraid to act. Many at times, they run deals with these Yahoo boys, get their share of whatever loots that come in and set them free.

Some of the SARS officials are reported to have POS machines with them. They cannot deny the facts. With that, they make withdrawals from bank accounts of innocent citizens.

These ugly acts are a misnormal to any sane society as the Police are paid to protect the lives and properties of the citizens. But the reverse is now the case.

The activities of internet fraudsters had progressed without distortion because some security operatives who ought to arrest and prosecute any suspect who does not have legitimate means of income have turned themselves toothless bulldogs.

All they care about is their share of the loot from these internet fraudsters who are perceived as ritualists.

To worse the situation, some parents now aid their children in the fraudulent business. Some parents even act cash pickups for their children in the business.

When their children hit it big, they accompany them to the churches for Thanksgiving services.

The churches are even the worse these days. They no longer question the sources of wealth of their members as it used to be in the early 1980s.

The import of it all is that some SARS officials, the internet fraudsters and some parents have failed the society and God Almighty and humanity and the only way to curb the menace is for parents to start instilling disciplines in their hearts of their children and bring them up in the fear of God.

This will help to build a sane and better society that is devoid of crime and criminalities. Parents should also learn not to welcome any of their children who come home with sudden wealth so as not to plunge themselves and the children into trouble.

The Nigeria Police Force, NPF should as a matter fact screen the SARS officials before drafting them into the unit.

The NPF should ensure the SARS officials have a code of dressing so that they could easily be identified anywhere in the country they operate.

The SARS officials themselves should stop encouraging internet fraudsters by collecting money from them. This will also help to sanitize our society. A stitch in time, saves nine.