The House of Representatives has mandated its Joint Committee on Human Rights, Police Affairs and Justice to commence investigations into alleged extra-judicial killings, harassment and torture leveled against operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Rivers state.

Following a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Hon. Kingsley Chinda and other lawmakers from Rivers State to investigate SAR’s activities, a decision to investigate the allegations was unanimously agreed upon and approved by the house.

Chinda noted that he and other lawmakers were deeply concerned about the several complaints of harassment, torture and extra-judicial killings of unarmed civilians by the operatives.

He revealed that victims of the alleged acts claimed that the operatives, often armed with guns, machetes and other dangerous weapons, employed malevolent methods including planting illicit drugs and other incriminating items and objects on unsuspecting victims.

He allleged that recently, one Ajibade Ademisoye, a taxi driver that lived on Rumuakunde community in Emohua Local Government Area of the state was killed by men of SARS and thereafter labeled as a cultist.

Chinda  expressed regret that a security outfit like SARS was being turned into a violent terror contraption whose victims are usually left at the mercy of the officers until they are able to pay various sums of money to secure bail.