The Nigeria Police Force has dismissed allegations made by Amnesty International in its report titled “Bloody August: Nigeria Government’s Violent Crackdown on #EndBadGovernance Protests,” describing the claims as false, misleading, and damaging to the image of the Force.
The report, released on November 28, 2024, accused the police of extrajudicial killings during the August 1-10 #hunger protests, claiming that at least 24 people were killed in six northern states.
However, the police have refuted these claims, asserting that their findings contradict Amnesty International’s allegations.
Addressing a press briefing on the matter on Sunday, the Force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, said a special investigative panel was constituted to verify the claims
He added that the panel, in collaboration with Commissioners of Police from the affected states, conducted extensive investigations and compiled a comprehensive report detailing the inaccuracies in Amnesty International’s allegations.
“Amnesty International is advised to have retrospection on its frequently false reporting on Nigerian’s Law Enforcement activities and reflect on its reporting methodology by ensuring that its reports are accurate and contain a true and fair expression of events that touch on national security and safety of all Nigerians. Accurate reporting of facts is key to the integrity and character of every international organisation and Amnesty International should not be an exception,” Adejobi added.
He also said the police would write to demand a retraction of the report as well as a public apology for the alleged inaccuracies.
Adejobi said, “The Nigeria Police Force will in due time be writing the Amnesty International to demand a retraction of this report from the public space and 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.”
Reeling out the police findings in Borno, Adejobi said the police didn’t use grenades as claimed by the organisation.
He said, “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 the society dismayed at this reported falsehood by an international agency which ought to act in accordance with international norms and standard of fair and honest reporting of human rights violations in the country.”
In Niger State, Adejobi said the claim that three individuals were shot dead in Suleja was debunked in the police findings.
Adejobi said the alleged killing of a 21-year-old in Katsina was also found to be unsubstantiated, adding that local sources confirmed that no such incident occurred.
Also in Kaduna State, Adejobi said contrary to Amnesty International’s report, no protests occurred in Kaduna on October 1, 2024, and no police killings were recorded.
He said instead, an incident involving the Nigerian Army was identified and openly investigated.
Adejobi said Amnesty International reported the deaths of two women and a man during protests in Jigawa but the police investigations revealed no such killings, and evidence suggested that the lone fatality was caused by protester violence, not police action.
In Kano State, Adejobi said the report alleged 12 deaths in Kano due to police actions, stating that investigations indicated that these deaths resulted from violent confrontations involving looters and criminals, not police activity.
By Solomon Odeniyi @ThePUNCH
