Placard-carrying members of Ijora community in Lagos have trooped to the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos to protest against the call to end Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

Another set of human rights groups also converged at the Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota, calling for total ban of SARS.

A coalition of civil society groups held rallies nationwide to maintain their demand for the dismantling of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad by the police authorities for alleged high-handedness.

The movement protest held at Gani-Fawehinmi Park, Ojota. The peaceful protest was attended by hundreds of protesters.

The organizers of the protests are Convener #EndSARS, Segun Awonsonya; Convener, Concerned Nigerians, Deji Adeyanju, Coordinator, Coalition in Defence of Nigerian Democracy, Ariyo Atoye; Adebayo Raphael of the OurMumuDonDo Movement, and Abdul Mahmud and Bako Usman of the Campaign for Democracy.

The group said they were appalled by the brutality and extrajudicial executions perpetrated by the SARS operatives, adding that government must put an end to the lawlessness by the squad in the country.

It insisted that the allegations against the squad, some of which were corroborated with pictures and videos, showed that the unit had outlived its usefulness and had become a menace to the Nigerian society.

“We are appalled by the stories told by victims, friends and family members of victims who have recounted experiences of extortion, torture, murder and disappearance of friends and loved ones.’ They said.

The movement also demanded greater funding for the police, better training, provision of equipment and insurance for police personnel among other issues.

“Whilst calling for the scrapping of the unit, we are also calling for greater funding of the police, better training, the provision of better equipment and living quarters, the provision of insurance, the establishment of a stricter code of conduct, the public prosecution and discipline of errant police officers and such other connected matters,” the #EndSARS campaigners disclosed.

The pro-SARS groups made up of residents of Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba communities in Ijora, Apapa and other environs converged at the National stadium where they urged the Federal government and the Nigeria Police Force to reorganize the anti-robbery outfit, rather than abolishing it.

Leader of one of the groups, Baba Talba insists that SARS activities in Lagos have helped to keep crime rate on the lowest ebb.

According to him, “A Lagos without SARS means free-for-all for armed robbers. The only outfit armed robbers fear in the police is SARS. People should stop calling for the dissolution of SARS, rather, they should call for the reorganization and reorientation of personnel in the unit.

Some of their placards reads: “Don’t abolish SARS”, “Anyone calling for abolismg of SARS is an armed robber”, “What we need is reorganization of SARS”,