The Nigeria Police Force has disputed the casualty figures released by Amnesty International regarding the recent #EndBadGovernance protests. Force spokesman Muyiwa Adejobi refuted the rights group’s claim that security agents killed 13 protesters during the demonstrations that began on Thursday.
Adejobi announced that 618 suspects have been arrested across eight states for various violent crimes committed during the protests. The arrests were made in Abuja, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Nasarawa, and Sokoto.
“Nine police officers sustained various degrees of injuries during attacks by protesters,” Adejobi stated.
He added, “One of them who initially was reported dead miraculously survived but remains in critical condition.”
The police spokesman emphasized that while security agents did not cause any fatalities despite provocation, seven individuals died in circumstances unrelated to police action.
Addressing Amnesty International’s allegations, Adejobi said, “Amnesty International further alleges that security personnel deliberately employed tactics designed to kill while managing gatherings and used firearms as a tactical tool for protest management.”
Adejobi provided account of the incidents that occurred during the first two days of the nationwide protests:
“In Borno State, four individuals lost their lives and thirty-four were severely injured in a terrorist attack by suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP elements who infiltrated the crowd of protesters and detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).”
He continued, “Additionally, an incident occurred involving an unregistered Honda Prelude car that ran into the protesters, resulting in the deaths of two civilians. The driver abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene.”
Adejobi also reported an incident in Yauri, Kebbi State, where “a local vigilante man shot and killed one of the looters” during an attempt to rob a shop.
The police spokesman concluded, “This brings the total number of deaths recorded during the protests to seven.”
