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Are They Really SARS Or SAYS? By Adeola Soetan

October 9, 2020

The nation is indeed in big problem as capitalism and anti-poor neo-liberal policies of government have pushed our youth and security agencies into syndicated crime. A crime encouraged by many criminal-minded senior Yahoo Yahoo corrupt political bandit leaders and traditional rulers who are unfortunately celebrated as models and mentors to these seductive youth criminals.

It's national deceit to continue to call these lawless, ununiforned, uncultured and badly trained armed gangsters SARS.

By their main operational focus, they are SAYS - Special Anti-Yahoo-Yahoo Squad who are making their huge money for themselves, and of course, for many of their unscrupulous bosses too, on the streets through gun terrorism and syndicated crime.

This atrocitiy they commit with impunity by regular harrasment for ransom of suspected 'Yahoo guys', many dreadocked, sagged and tattooed Nigerians or any young man who is unfortunate to ride in a good expensive  vehicle bought with clean money. 

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Many of these SAYS guys, with due respect to the very few that may be conscientious, are richer than their DPOs, they build houses, ride good cars that honest Area Commanders cannot afford.

They spend money lavishly like Mansa Musa of the old Mali Empire and keep harem of women of easy virtues like King Solomon. Many of these ladies are "human bounty" from  SAYS/SARS' street raids or as sex slaves negotiated as human ransom between SAYS and cyber criminals (Yahoo guys, many of whom are their business partners). 

It's an open secret that many of these cyber criminals and the hotels/club houses they use as sanctuaries pay regular security allowance to some  SAYS units for protection, immunity and mutual understanding against raids and not to disturb innocent guests. Any senior police officer in charge of these SAYS guys who claim ignorance of this common fact should cover his face in shame and resign for negligence of duty or blatant lie.

Cybercrime is technology driven, its proper investigation cannot be throughly done by street bully and commercial raids adopted by SARS/SAYS guys but painstaking information technology and intelligence gathering except for money making venture that is the preoccupation of these guys who have become laws to themselves. Hushpupi's thorough investigation and arrest by Dubai police aided by interpol has shown us that intelligence gathering not bully for bribe is the best way to go.

Not too long ago in Lagos, I was at the attic bar of an hotel overlooking the streets when a yellow painted  commercial bus packed in front of Zenith Bank. Surprisingly, some young men and two ladies also inside the bar started discussing among themselves the identity and mission of the  passengers inside the yellow bus when a guy and two men in jeans disembarked and moved towards the bank.

"Haa! Awon SARS Alakuko - Sango ni yen, dem don carry boys and come to collect pay be that, it can't be less than 500 bail..." . And truly, after about an hour, the two guys in jeans joined their colleagues inside the bus and then released two young men to join the first guy that led them to Zenith Bank. The two parties departed peacefully, I guessed after a successful transaction.

I was shocked how these young men inside the bar with me knew these guys were SARS, their mission  and how they talked freely about negotiation of cyber crime when committed. It means that they were also cybercriminals and SARS are their regular friends and business partners.

Wahala (trouble) always come when there's disagreement or to raise the stakes to higher bargain, infighting among Yahoo guys leading to sabotage and leakage of info on new jackpot hit by some Yahoo guys  to SARS, non renewal of "license" or when some "unaccredited" yahoo guys  decided to operate "illegally" without consent or tactical approval  of these unscrupulous SARS.

I really learned a lot while eavedropoing this conversation on Yahoo Yahoo/SARS crime ring.

The nation is indeed in big problem as capitalism and anti-poor neo-liberal policies of government have pushed our youth and security agencies into syndicated crime. A crime encouraged by many criminal-minded senior Yahoo Yahoo corrupt political bandit leaders and traditional rulers who are unfortunately celebrated as models and mentors to these seductive youth  criminals.

 My main worry is that, like their godfathers in crime, when they ultimately succeed in these international crime, they will soon hijack with their crime proceeds major political leadership and management positions in the country.
"Nigeria ti wo gau" (Nigeria has entered gau).

Only a system change from this rottenness where government and citizens will restore dignity to labour and value to hardwork is the solution.