Nigeria Police Deny Allegations of Live Ammunition Use During #EndBadGovernance Protests

• The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has rejected claims that its officers used live ammunition against #EndBadGovernance protesters in August.
• The police spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, called the Amnesty International report “unfounded” and inconsistent with police incident reports.
• Amnesty International had claimed that 24 protesters were killed and 1,200 arrested, accusing security forces of torture and ill-treatment.
• The NPF emphasized that officers followed established rules of engagement and did not deploy arms unless necessary.

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has denied allegations that its officers used live ammunition against protesters during the nationwide #EndBadGovernance demonstrations in August. In a statement issued on Monday, police spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi described a report by Amnesty International, which accused security forces of killing at least 24 protesters, as “unfounded, misleading, and inconsistent with incident reports.”

Adejobi stressed that the police adhered to established rules of engagement during the protests, which were sparked by widespread hardship across the country. While Amnesty International’s report also claimed that 1,200 protesters were arrested and subjected to torture, the police emphasized that the use of force was only authorized when protests escalated into riots, resulting in harm to lives or property.

The police spokesperson reiterated that the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had issued clear directives to officers, ensuring that arms were used only in extreme situations and that peaceful protests were secured without violence. A comprehensive investigation into the claims has been ordered by the police leadership.