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Police deny firing live bullets at #FreeNnamdiKanu protesters in Abuja
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Hundeyin says only teargas was used to enforce court order
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Sowore accuses police of excessive force during peaceful protest
The Nigeria Police Force has refuted claims that its operatives fired live ammunition at protesters during the #FreeNnamdiKanu demonstration in Abuja on Monday, which was led by activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday night, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, clarified that officers only deployed teargas to disperse protesters who violated court orders restricting demonstrations in certain parts of the Federal Capital Territory.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that Hundeyin explained that the popping sound of teargas canisters could easily be mistaken for gunfire by people unfamiliar with their use.
“I can say it authoritatively that no live ammunition was fired today, not a single one,” he said. “It is easy for people who are not familiar with the sound to mistake the firing of teargas for live ammunition because it makes the same popping, explosion-like sound. But I can say on good authority that no live bullets were shot.”
He further stated that the police had issued multiple warnings to the protesters before taking action.
“We made it clear that we were going to enforce the court order. We gave enough warning to these people to step back and not go beyond where they were, but they were adamant and kept advancing,” Hundeyin explained.
According to him, the officers acted professionally and within the law, using only minimal force necessary to maintain order.
“We conformed to standard operating procedures and used only force that was commensurate with the resistance we were getting,” he added.
The Monday protest, led by Sowore, was organised to demand the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Sowore, however, accused the police and other security agencies of firing live bullets and teargas at peaceful demonstrators.
Videos from the protest showed protesters, including Sowore, fleeing the scene as teargas filled the air, but police have insisted that only non-lethal crowd control measures were used.
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