The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has strongly dismissed allegations made by Amnesty International (AI) in its report titled “Bloody August: Nigeria Government’s Violent Crackdown on #EndBadGovernance Protests.” The report, dated November 28, 2024, accused the police of extrajudicial killings during the protests, claiming at least 24 fatalities across six northern states.
In a statement issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the NPF described the claims as false, misleading, and damaging to its reputation.
Investigation Panel Challenges Amnesty International’s Claims
Adejobi revealed that a special investigative panel was constituted to verify Amnesty International’s allegations. The findings, according to him, contradicted the claims made in the report.
- Borno State: The report alleged violent police actions, including a grenade attack killing three persons at a filling station. Police investigations found no evidence supporting this claim. Instead, protests in Borno were characterized by violence, looting, and destruction, including damage to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees’ Skill Acquisition Centre and the World Food Programme’s warehouse in Maiduguri.
- Niger State: AI’s claim of three fatalities in Suleja was debunked by police findings, which found no evidence of such incidents.
- Katsina State: The alleged killing of a 21-year-old was also unsubstantiated, with local sources confirming no such incident occurred.
- Jigawa State: AI reported the deaths of two women and a man during protests, but police investigations revealed no such killings. Evidence suggested that the lone fatality was caused by protester violence rather than police action.
Call for Retraction and Apology
ACP Adejobi stated that the NPF would formally request Amnesty International to retract the report and issue a public apology for what it termed as inaccuracies and falsehoods.
“The Nigeria Police Force remains committed to upholding human rights and expects international organizations to maintain standards of fairness and objectivity in their reporting,” Adejobi said.
He reaffirmed the NPF’s commitment to transparency and accountability, emphasizing that no allegations of misconduct by officers would be overlooked.
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