681 Persons Arrested, Seven Died In Ongoing Nationwide Protest -Police
By Sunday Etuka, Abuja
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has disclosed that a total of 681 individuals were so far arrested for various criminal offenses in the ongoing nationwide hunger protest, which began on 1st August 2024.
This is even as it revealed that about seven (7) people lost their lives during the protest.
Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.
He noted that those arrested were in connection with armed robbery, arson, mischief, destructions of both public and private property, and possession of dangerous weapons, including two (2) AK-47 rifles and assorted live ammunition.
Additionally, he said, stolen items such as furniture, electronics, phones, other various shop items, and vital infrastructures worth billions of naira were recovered from the arrested persons.
The Force PRO, refuted the recent report publicized by the Amnesty International, which claimed that thirteen (13) individuals have lost their lives due to the protests.
He said, the Amnesty International further alleged that security personnel deliberately employed tactics designed to kill while managing gatherings and used firearms as a tactical tool for protest management.
He, however, clarified that accurate account of incidents from the first two (2) days of the nationwide protests shows that in Borno State, four (4) individuals lost their lives and thirty-four (34) 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 further explained that an incident occurred involving an unregistered Honda Prelude car that ran into the protesters, resulting in the deaths of two (2) civilians, narrating that the driver abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene.
He said, although the vehicle was vandalized after the incident, it has been recovered and is currently in police custody, disclosing that fforts are ongoing to trace the driver and bring him to justice.
ACP Adejobi continued that “there was another incident reported in Yauri, in Yauri Local Government Area of Kebbi State where a group of individuals mobilized to loot a shop. In the process, a local vigilante man shot and killed one of the looters. The Commissioner of Police in charge of Kebbi State is currently investigating the incident. This brings the total number of deaths recorded during the protests to seven (7).
“It is important to state that there were no other recorded fatalities during the protests apart from those mentioned above.
“However, incidences of armed robbery, arson, mischief, looting of public institutions and private businesses, destructions of both public and private property were recorded during the protest. Arrests were made with respect to these criminal incidences and a number of recoveries made from the suspects while the protest was going on.
“The Nigeria Police personnel deployed to manage the protests have acted professionally, refraining from using lethal weapons. In instances where protesters became riotous, the police employed teargas to disperse them. Even when our officers on lawful duty were attacked and injured, the police effected arrests using only teargas, demonstrating utmost restraint”, he said.
The Force Spokesman said, “contrary to circulating news, organizers of the protest or protesters were not arrested, saying that those in police custody were under investigation for clear connections to criminal activities.
“Furthermore, nine (9) police officers sustained various degrees of injuries during attacks by protesters. One of them who initially was reported dead, miraculously survived but remains in critical condition”, he said.
Adejobi noted that the ongoing protest has obviously turned violent, therefore, advised law abiding citizens taking part in the protest across the country to immediately withdraw from it.
“This advice becomes necessary in view of the violence that has characterized the protest in the last 2 days. It is reasonably accurate information and ensuring the safety and security of all citizens during these challenging times.
“It is essential to recognize that the strategic deployment by the Nigeria Police Force, in collaboration with other security agencies, and the decisive clampdown on criminal elements exploiting the protests for unlawful activities, has been highly effective in quelling tension and curbing the violence and anarchy witnessed on the first day of the protests.
“During this challenging period, the Nigeria Police Force reaffirms its commitment to performing its lawful duties with professionalism, maintaining law and order, and preventing anarchy throughout the country.
“The Nigeria Police urges all citizens and residents to disregard unfounded and psychologically manipulative reports circulating about incidents during these protests”, he said.
