A Canadian Court has denied a former member of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police Force asylum in Canada for crimes against humanity.
Checkout Magazine learnt that Olushola Popoola was a member of the unit between 2002 and 2005 in Abuja and 2009 and 2011 in Lagos when he resigned following his father’s death.
A Federal Canadian court in Ottawa, Ontario, affirmed the decision of the Immigration Department to deny the former operative entry into the North American country.
The court upheld the findings of the immigration department to the effect that “the Nigerian Police Force and the SARS in particular, have committed crimes against humanity from 2002 to 2015”.
The judge, Sébastien Grammond, delivering judgment on Popoola’s case, held that by merely handing over suspects “to the criminal investigation department” despite knowing that they “would be subject to human rights violations,” the applicant without necessarily participating directly in the SARS’ crimes had made “a significant contribution” to the unit’s atrocities.
A verdict delivered by the judge on Tuesday dismissed Popoola’s application for a review of the Immigration Department’s decision to deny him entry into Canada.
Recall that SARS was disbanded last October after nationwide protests against police brutality.
