Nigerian Police Force (NPF) has said that its officers did not fire live ammunition at protesters during #EndBadGovernance protest in August 2024.
Gatekeepers News reports that the force in a statement released by its spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi on Monday, dismissed a recent Amnesty International report detailing how security operatives killed protesters.
In the report titled: ‘Bloody August: Nigerian government’s violent crackdown on #EndBadGovernance protests’, Amnesty International said at least 24 protesters were killed during the protest.
The global human rights organisation said 1,200 protesters were arrested during the nationwide protests, adding that Nigerian authorities perpetrated “acts of torture and other ill-treatment against protesters”.
Responding, NPF referred to the report as “unfounded, misleading, and inconsistent with incident reports.”
Adejobi said the police “operated in compliance with established rules of engagement” during the protest.
The spokesman said Kayode Egbetokun, inspector-general of police (IGP), has ordered a “comprehensive investigation into the claims”.
The statement reads, “The force categorically refutes these allegations as unfounded, misleading, and inconsistent with incident reports submitted to the office of the inspector-general of police by affected commands.”
“The force wishes to reiterate that throughout the protests, it operated in compliance with established rules of engagement, including providing security for peaceful protesters.”
“The inspector-general of police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D, NPM, had issued clear directives to all Commissioners of Police on managing the protests, emphasizing that officers should not deploy arms to manage protests.”
“Instead, arms were only to be used when protests escalated into riots involving loss of lives and damage to property.
“Even then, engagement with armed protesters was limited strictly to specialized armed units to restore order.”
