Peter Obi, a former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Vice Presidential candidate, on Sunday denied using operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, to harass people of Anambra State while we was governor.
Obi explained that he only supported SARS operatives with operational vehicles and logistics but never armed them to harass citizens.
The former Vice Presidential candidate issued the explanation in a series of tweets while responding to allegation that he armed SARS operatives to harass people of Anambra State.
According to Obi: “Dear @AbdulMahmud01, as Governor, I was not constitutionally empowered to arm SARS or any unit of the Nigeria Police Force or the Army. So, we never bought arms and ammunition for them because we were not legally empowered to do so.
“We only supported them from time to time with operational vehicles and other logistics.
“Therefore, I never armed SARS throughout my eight years as Anambra Gov. I only worked with the security agencies, which are all Federal establishments.
“I was never involved in posting of security agents to Anambra State throughout my stay in office. I worked with the ones that were posted through the Commissioner of Police or heads of other agencies.
“Those heading the security agencies supervised their agents. I only wanted the State and her residents to be secured. I never asked anyone to deal with any citizen outside of the law.
“When the Ezu River issue came up, I had to cut short my foreign trip, returned home and did the needful, including directives that autopsy be carried out as part of a full investigation.
“Till date, I can attest, and those who know me very well can corroborate that I have never used any privileged position I held which I consider is by the Grace of God Almighty for wrong reasons.
“Indeed SARS was not set up to harass, intimidate, extort, maim or kill citizens. It is time to review its activities and put a stop to the excesses now associated with it.”
SARS, in the past few days has come under fire due to their unconstitutional duties of killing and harassing innocent Nigerians.