In a new report now widely shared on the Internet which has also been hailed as a win for the #EndSARS movement, a former member of the notorious now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) has been denied entry and refugee status in Canada, OYOGist.com has gathered.
The report contained in a letter tagged “Popoola v. Canada (Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness) – Federal Court” detailed how one Olushola Popoola, a former officer of the Nigerian Police Force served in the dreaded unit until 2015 before leaving Nigeria for the United States and later applied for refugee at Canada in 2016. There, he was denied entry because of his role while serving as a member of the SARS unit and the possibility that he would have committed crimes against humanity.
Following the rejection, Olushola Popoola filed for judicial review of the decision that found him inadmissible by the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. There, the court dismissed his case. In delivering its judgment the court said:
“1. The style of case is amended to substitute that Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness as the respondent.
2. The application for judicial review is dismissed.
3. No question is certified.
The now-disbanded special anti-robbery squad of the Nigerian Police Force is known for its extreme use of force, extra-judicial killings, extortion, and kidnappings among other crimes bordering on human-rights abuses. In 2020, the unit was disbanded after a nationwide protest against the unit erupted following the murder of a youth in Delta, Nigeria. The protests climaxed with the alleged shooting of peaceful protesters at Lekki Toll Gate on the 20th of October, 2020, where the government used force and brutality to quash the protests.
Many Nigerians have called on foreign governments to apply visa bans of members of the SARS unit and senior government officials that abetted them.
So it was no surprise that many Nigerians were excited about the news of Olushola Popoola’s Canada visa rejection due to his history with the SARS Police unit.
Read the report below:
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