▁General ▁of ▁Police . ▁S AR S ▁as ▁it ▁is ▁popular ly ▁called ▁is ▁known ▁for ▁ext ort ion , ▁tort ure , ▁fr aming ▁up ▁suspect s ▁and ▁even ▁black mail . ▁While ▁the ▁police ▁unit ▁has ▁proven ▁effective ▁against ▁crime , ▁it ▁is ▁believed ▁that ▁the ▁unit ▁is ▁cor rupt . ▁S AR S ▁have ▁become ▁a ▁controvers ial ▁police ▁unit ▁in ▁Niger ia ▁since ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁according ▁to ▁reports . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁Special ▁Anti - Rob ber y ▁Squad ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁by ▁former ▁police ▁commission er ▁S ime on ▁Dan lad i ▁Mid enda . ▁The ▁major ▁reason ▁S AR S ▁was ▁formed ▁was ▁when ▁Col . ▁R ind am , ▁a ▁Niger ian ▁Army ▁Colonel ▁was ▁killed ▁by ▁police ▁officers ▁at ▁a ▁check point ▁in ▁Lag os . ▁When ▁the ▁information ▁reached ▁the ▁army , ▁soldiers ▁were ▁dispatch ed ▁into ▁the ▁streets ▁of ▁Lag os ▁in ▁search ▁of ▁any ▁police ▁officer . ▁The ▁Niger ian ▁police ▁with d rew ▁from ▁check points , ▁security ▁areas ▁and ▁other ▁points ▁to ▁interest ▁for ▁crim inals , ▁some ▁police ▁officers ▁were ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁res igned ▁while ▁others ▁fled ▁for ▁their ▁lives . ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁absence ▁of ▁police ▁for ▁two ▁weeks ▁crime ▁rate ▁increased ▁and ▁S AR S ▁was ▁formed ▁with ▁only ▁ 1 5 ▁officers ▁operating ▁in ▁the ▁sh adows ▁without ▁knowledge ▁of ▁the ▁army ▁while ▁monitoring ▁police ▁radio ▁chat ters . ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁already ▁established