Formers SARS officer denied refugee in Canada (Details)
A former member of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad [SARS] in Abuja has been denied refugee status in Canada on the grounds that he may have committed crimes against humanity.
Twitter user @Olufisiayo, took to the social media platform to share the case with the public writing;
Immigration Refugee status: Popoola v. Canada (Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness) – Found this story of this refugee request in Canada dismissed because he was a member of SARS and may have committed crimes against humanity
Immigration Refugee status: Popoola v. Canada (Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness) – Found this story of this refugee request in Canada dismissed because he was a member of SARS and may have committed crimes against humanity ????. https://t.co/OhdlXNDTgW
— Sage. (@Olufisiayo) April 13, 2021
According to the court, documentary evidence found that the Nigerian Police Force, and the SARS in particular, have committed crimes against humanity from 2002 to 2015. This is because mistreatment and torture of police detainees is endemic in Nigeria, for a number of reasons including corruption and impunity. Extrajudicial killings are frequent. The SARS, in particular, is singled out in the documentary evidence as one of the most brutal units of the Force.
Based on this grounds, the man identified as Mr. Popoola was denied the refugee status in the country. The court stated;
Since Mr. Popoola reasonably knew that when he was a member of the SARS the suspects he handed over to the criminal investigation department would be subject to human rights violations, the tribunal finds this to be a significant contribution to the criminal purpose of the organization since he had the knowledge of what could befall the individual subject to investigation.
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