Nigeria police said 205 stations were destroyed, 22 personnel killed and more injured during nationwide protests against alleged brutality by the law enforcement agency.
“Despite these unprovoked attacks, our police officers never resorted to use of unlawful force or shooting at the protesters,” Nigerian police spokesman Frank Mba said Friday in an emailed statement. The police denied reports by rights group Amnesty International that they opened fire on unarmed demonstrators.
“Available Reports show that twenty-two (22) police personnel were extra-judicially killed by some rampaging protesters and scores injured during the protests. Many of the injured personnel are in life-threatening conditions at the hospitals. Two hundred and five (205) Police stations and formations including other critical private and public infrastructure were also damaged by a section of the protesters.
“Despite these unprovoked attacks, our police officers never resorted to use of unlawful force or shooting at the protesters as alleged in the report. It also beggars imagination that Amnesty International failed to mention or pay tribute to Police officers who were gruesomely murdered during the protests while serving their fatherland. The Force decries the discriminatory tendencies exhibited by Amnesty International as seen in the report.. One wonders if in the estimation of Amnesty International, police officers are not also human beings equally entitled to the protection of their fundamental rights to life and dignity of human person.
“The IGP, while noting that the Force is committed to the Federal Government’s ongoing holistic reforms of the NPF targeted at improving service delivery, positive police-citizen relationship and respect for human rights, enjoins Amnesty International to ensure they subject their reports to adequate scrutiny and proper verification of facts before making the reports public”.
The human rights group said 38 people were killed on Oct. 20 alone across Nigeria when police and soldiers opened fire on unarmed protesters in the biggest city of Lagos and other parts of the country.
