A defiant President Muhammadu Buhari rejected calls on Friday to end the brutal police special anti-robbery squad. 

Mr. Buhari in a statement on Twitter Friday night said his administration will rather focus on reforming the unit accused of killing, maiming and extorting Nigerians at gun point.  

Worldwide protests erupted today after Nigerians began demanding online and in demonstrations that the SARS should be scrapped forthwith. 

“I met again with the IGP tonight. Our determination to reform the police should never be in doubt. 

“I am being briefed regularly on the reform efforts ongoing to end police brutality and unethical conduct, and ensure that the Police are fully accountable to the people,” Mr. Buhari said. 

His statement echoed the position of the federal police leadership on the matter, which last week insisted that the squad won’t be scrapped but would work under a new set of operational guidelines. 

Nigerians and rights groups however rejected the approach, saying SARS has become too condemned to be reformed. 

Nigerians are asking for a new police unit that would tackle genuine crime and not target young people for bearing a laptop or a car. 
Protests continue across the country tonight.

Nigerians overseas are gearing up for protests in New York and Washington D.C. this weekend, Peoples Gazette earlier reported.