Police Deny Killing 24 Protesters, Demand Apology From Amnesty Int’l
2 years ago 3 min read
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The Nigeria Police Force has refuted Amnesty International’s allegations about police conduct during the #EndBadGovernance protests, describing the organisation’s recent report as false and damaging to its reputation.
The report, titled “Bloody August: Nigeria Government’s Violent Crackdown on #EndBadGovernance Protests,” released on November 28, 2024, alleged that the police killed at least 24 people in Borno, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa and Niger States.
Force PRO, Adejobi Muyiwa, announced during a Sunday news briefing that a special investigative panel conducted a thorough investigation and found the allegation to be untrue.
Muyiwa said working alongside police commissioners from the affected states, the panel produced comprehensive findings that dispute Amnesty International’s claims.
According to him, the police will formally request a retraction of the report and demand a public apology.
“Amnesty International is advised to reflect on its frequent false reporting on Nigeria’s law enforcement activities and ensure its reports are accurate and contain a true and fair representation of events affecting national security and public safety.
“Accurate reporting of facts is essential to the integrity of any international organisation, and Amnesty International should not be an exception,” Adejobi said.
“The Nigeria Police Force will, in due course, write to Amnesty International to demand the retraction of this report from the public domain along with a public apology.
“The Nigeria Police Force remains resolute in protecting the rights of all citizens while ensuring the security and stability of the nation.
“We, therefore, urge the public to be wary of sensational reports designed to incite mistrust and weaken confidence in law enforcement institutions,” he said.
Muyiwa added, “In Borno State, it was established that the protesters were violent, engaging in widespread looting, pillaging, and wanton destruction of public and private property.
“For example, the Skill Acquisition Centre of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees was looted and vandalised.
“The warehouse of the World Food Programme, located on Baga/Maimalari Barracks Road, Maiduguri, was also looted, with several items belonging to the international organisation destroyed and stolen by some of the protesters.
“Therefore, the claims by Amnesty International that the police threw a hand grenade from a convoy of vehicles into a filling station killing three persons is a blatant falsehood and leaves right-thinking members of society dismayed at this reported falsehood by an international agency that ought to act in accordance with international norms and standards of fair and honest reporting of human rights violations in the country.”
The police further contested several other allegations, including the report of three deaths in Suleja.
He added that the claim of a 21-year-old’s death in Katsina and reports of killings in Kaduna State were found to be unsubstantiated.
Regarding Kano State, where Amnesty reported 12 deaths, the Force PRO said investigations revealed that the fatalities resulted from violent confrontations between looters and criminals, not police intervention.
In Jigawa, where the report claimed three deaths, including two women and a man, the police spokesperson said their investigation found only one fatality, which was attributed to protester violence rather than police action.
Muyiwa reaffirmed the commitment of the police force to protecting citizens’ rights while maintaining national security.
