President Buhari’s aide defends SARS, says fraudsters behind protest

The Personal Assistant to the President on Social Media, Lauretta Onochie, says the protests against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad were coordinated by internet fraudsters.

This is despite a complaint by the Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo, that the extrajudicial killings by SARS were disheartening.

Osinbajo had said, “The President and I have had discussions on this. He is very concerned about it. He wants to see reform.

“I am very concerned, in fact, very angry about what I see happening to young men and women who are arrested — in some cases maimed or killed by men of the police force.

“The arrest, maiming or killing of young people or anyone at all, is completely wrong. It is unlawful and illegal, and anyone involved in this act ought to be investigated and prosecuted.”

However, Onochie said in a series of tweets that while there were a few bad eggs in the police, the protests against SARS were orchestrated by Internet fraudsters.

She tweeted, “I have no doubt that there are some staff of SARS who are unprofessional in their dealings with the public the same way we have unprofessionalism in the army, mainstream police, customs, civil service, public service , traders, doctors, lawyers, journalists, teachers, pastors etc.

“But what is going on now is a coordinated attack by cyber criminals joined by unsuspecting innocent citizens.  This is not the first time. We must stand by our national institutions while working to improve their effectiveness. That is not what patriotism is about. No sentiments.” (Agency report)