Dolapo Badmus, The Chief Superintendent of Police and Police Public Relations Officer, Zone 2, comprising Ogun and Lagos State while speaking with Vanguard has alleged that Most Persons lie about SARS Brutality on Social Media just to get pity.
She said:
”’Well, the issue of this squad called Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, and its operational model has been over flooded basically on the social media platforms.
The #EndSARS# started with a group of individuals that, due to their own personal experience or encounter with the operation, started the campaign. They propelled it with social media, escalating the whole issue negatively.
We are aware that bad news sales faster than good news. People have been feigning SARS attack on the social media.
I am a Zonal Public Relations Officer of the Force and I have noticed that people deforms information even when there is no confrontation at all. Most people somehow, do this to seek relevance on the social media. Even some celebrities are doing it.
The issue has spiraled to the other members of the Police Force: when a normal Policeman did anything uncalled for, they tag it SARS. This kind of act is sending a negative picture to the international community about Nigerian Police.
We don’t have any other country other than Nigeria, and whatever we do reflects on us a people. The negative effects rub off on us too as Policemen.
When we are outside the country, they see us as corrupt officers due to social media postings. I have spoken to stakeholders in this #Endsars# campaign group, advising them that there are ways and manners the goal can be achieved without using social media platform to escalate the issue.
SARS integrity has been projected in a negative form abroad, and even some people are afraid to visit home with the insinuation that SARS will attack them.