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The Nigeria Police have categorically refuted claims by Amnesty International that it was responsible for multiple deaths during the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest.
Legit recalls that Amnesty International, in a report, accused the Nigerian Police of killing at least twenty-four protesters during the #EndBadGovernance protests, which took place across six northern states.
The report, titled “Bloody August: Nigeria Government’s Violent Crackdown on #EndBadGovernance Protests,” also alleged the use of excessive force against demonstrators, leading to the deaths of several individuals.
Reacting to these allegations in a statement made available to Legit on Sunday, December 22, the police pointed to discrepancies between Amnesty International’s claims and the official records of violence during the protests.
The Police noted that all incidents involving violence during the protests had been documented by police forces across Nigeria, including in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Police Investigation into the Allegations
However, to put the record straight, Adejobi in the statement disclosed that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun directed a comprehensive and independent investigation into the allegations.
“We take these allegations seriously, and a special investigation panel was constituted to look into these claims,” Olujimi said.
He added that the Police Commissioners in the states mentioned in the report were also tasked with verifying the allegations specific to their regions.
“These findings were compiled and submitted to the IGP, with members of the special panel visiting the affected states to gather firsthand accounts,” he said.
What was the result of Police investigation?
Adejobi, in that statement, contradicted several key allegations made in the Amnesty International report.
For example, according to him, in Borno State, for instance, protesters were found to have engaged in violent acts, including looting and destroying both public and private property.
This included the vandalization of a Skill Acquisition Centre belonging to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the looting of a warehouse belonging to the World Food Programme (WFP).
Clearing the air on a particularly contentious claim in the Amnesty report which concerned the deaths of three fuel attendants at A.A. Kime Filling Station in Borno, the police said:
“These allegations are not only false and misleading but are also a clear attempt to incite the general public against the police and tarnish the image of the Nigeria Police Force in the eyes of the international community.”
Police nab ritualist with human head in Ogun
In another development, Legit reported that 45-year-old Taiwo Yemitan has been arrested with a fresh human head and dismembered body parts of a female victim in the Lafenwa area of Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital.
Police operatives arrested Yemitan in his home behind Atinsola petrol station, Sanni in Abeokuta around 1:40a. m on Sunday, December 22.
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