File photo of police officers
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has denied claims that its operatives fired live ammunition at protesters during Monday’s #FreeNnamdiKanu demonstration in Abuja.
Benjamin Hundeyin, force public relations officer, spoke during an interview on ‘Politics Today’, a Channels Television programme.
He said the police only used teargas to disperse demonstrators who attempted to breach areas restricted by a court order.
“I can say it authoritatively that no live ammunition was fired today. Not a single live ammunition,” Hundeyin said.
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“It is easy for people who are not familiar with the sound to mistake the firing of teargas for live ammunition.
“It makes the same popping, explosion-like sound. I can say it on good authority that no live ammunition was shot.”
Hundeyin said officers resorted to teargas only after protesters ignored repeated warnings and attempted to enter prohibited locations.
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“We made it clear that we were going to enforce this court order. We gave enough warning to these people to step back and not go beyond where they were, but they were adamant and they were approaching these areas,” he said.
According to Hundeyin, the operatives acted in line with established procedures to ensure public safety.
“We just conformed to standard operating procedures and we decided to use minimal force — force that is commensurate with the resistance we were getting,” he added.
On Monday, police emptied teargas canisters on commuters at the Central Business District of Abuja as activists assembled to commence the protest.
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Some of the commuters were waiting for vehicles to take them to workplaces when they were teargassed. Eight protesters were reportedly arrested in the nation’s capital city on Day 1 of the marches.
The protest is being spearheaded by Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters and ex-presidential candidate.
Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since his re-arrest in June 2021.
The IPOB leader has been on trial at the federal high court in Abuja.
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