#EndSARS: Amnesty Int’l report on police shooting of protesters not true – IGP

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP M.A Adamu, has defended the Nigeria Police Force on the handling of the recent #EndSARS mass action in Nigeria by the youths. The IGP responding to  a report by Amnesty International that Police personnel shot at peaceful protesters, said that officers of the Nigeria Police Force acted professionally, exercised commendable restraints while some paid the supreme price with their lives for peace during the protests and ensuing violence in some parts of the country. He said the Amnesty International report is untrue, misleading, and contrary to all available empirical evidence.

The IGP noted that during the protests, officers of the Force used legitimate means to ensure that the protests were carried out in a peaceful manner and in most cases, physically protected and walked side-by-side with the protesters. He reiterated that even when the protests turned violent in some parts of the country, the officers still maintained utmost restraint and did not use excessive force in managing the situations.

The IG decried that available Reports show that 22 police personnel were extra-judicially killed by some rampaging protesters and scores injured during the protests. According to IG Adamu, “Many of the injured personnel are in life threatening conditions at the hospitals; 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.”

The IG lamented that it also beggar’s 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,” IG Adamu declared.

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, enjoined Amnesty International to ensure they subject their reports to adequate scrutiny and proper verification of facts before making the reports public.