SARS, alongside many other units of the Nigerian police, has routinely been implicated in torture and ill-treatment of suspects and detainees, including during interrogations. SARS was notorious for extortion and physical abuse, and citizens have alleged that those unable to pay bribes were often tortured as a form of punishment.[2] SARS officers were also known for profiling young people with dreadlocks and tattoos, and those driving luxury cars or visibly possessing smartphones or laptops, sparking ire from much of the population.[3]

In October 2020, protesters took to the streets to denounce continuous abuses by SARS and human rights violations by Nigerian security forces after a video of SARS officers killing an unarmed man in Delta state went viral. Protests were largely met with excessive force, extrajudicial executions, and arbitrary arrest by Nigerian security forces. An estimated 12 demonstrators were killed by security forces during a protest in the Lekki region of Lagos state.

On October 11, the Nigerian government dissolved SARS and agreed to take steps towards meaningful police reform. However, activists and stakeholders have noted that previous pledges promising reform have not yielded substantial results, allowing abuses by security forces to continue with impunity.[4]