SARS operatives still brutalize students, extort money at Kogi varsity on Tuesday- protesters

Emmanuel Adeyemi Lokoja
Hundreds of youths  staged a peaceful anti-SARS protest in lokoja Wednesday afternoon alleging that government was not sincere with the scrapping of the outfit as some of the operatives  on Tuesday evening still brutalized  some students and extorted money from them.
The protesters who marched to government house, lokoja in a motorcade singing anti-government songs  and dancing insisted they  must see  governor Yahaya Bello before they leave .
Inspite of the pleadings from the chief of staff to the governor , Abdulkarim Asuku and some top government functionaries, the protesters insisted they must see governor even as they remain at the gate of the government house as at  when this story was filed.
The spoke persons of the group,  Ben Ajewole,  David Olubiojo and Anate Adams who spoke differently said  president Muhammadu Buhari has failed the nation as he pretended not to know the series of atrocities SARS committed against lawful Nigerians.
While acknowledging that the state governor pleaded yesterday for the youths to be calm, they alleged the same SARS operatives in their full jackets and official vehicle invaded the Kogi State University, Ayingba yesterday and beat some students black and blue.
They alleged that the SARS operatives inspite of pleadings collected the sum of ₦100,000 from one of the students while some when forcefully taken to the Automated Teller Machine to collect various sums of money from them before they could leave them
The protesters also alleged that inspite of the  disbandment , some of the operatives are still on some major highways in Kogi especially Obajana- kabba road, Ayingba- lokoja roads extorting money from motorists while their main office in lokoja is still seen operating.
The protesters said the scrapping of SARS have been carried out since 2017 with mere pronouncement without full enforcement and urged president Buhari to overhaul the entire police force.
It will be recalled that Governor Bello yesterday at a special press briefing appealed to the youths to end the nation wide protests which he said have been hijacked by hoodlums.
He promised to intervene on behalf of Nigerians youths  to ensure that the implementation of the police reform was carried out by the federal government but appeal for cooperation with president Buhari.