Police Dismiss Amnesty International Report on #EndBadGovernance

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has rejected the allegations made by Amnesty International in its report on the #EndBadGovernance protests, describing the claims as false, misleading, and damaging to its reputation.

Amnesty International’s report, titled “Bloody August: Nigeria Government’s Violent Crackdown on #EndBadGovernance Protests,” which was released on November 28, 2024, accused the police of extrajudicial killings during the protests, claiming that at least 24 people were killed in six northern states.

In response, the Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, stated that the police’s internal investigation contradicted the allegations made by Amnesty International. He revealed that a special investigative panel had been set up to verify the claims, and its findings showed a different picture.

Adejobi announced that the police would formally request a retraction of the report and a public apology from Amnesty International for the alleged inaccuracies.

Breaking down the police’s findings, Adejobi said: “In Borno State, it was established that the protesters were violent, engaging in widespread looting, pillaging, and wanton destruction of public and private property. For instance, the Skill Acquisition Centre of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees was looted and vandalised, as was the warehouse of the World Food Programme located on Baga/Maimalari Barracks Road, Maiduguri, with several items belonging to the international organisation destroyed and stolen by some of the protesters.”

The Force PRO also rejected the claim by Amnesty International that the police threw a hand grenade into a filling station in Borno, killing three people. He called this claim a “blatant falsehood,” emphasizing that such allegations tarnish the credibility of an international organization that should adhere to international norms of fair and honest reporting on human rights violations.

Further findings by the police debunked several other claims in the Amnesty International report. In Niger State, the police found no evidence to support the claim that three individuals were shot dead in Suleja during the protests. Similarly, the alleged killing of a 21-year-old in Katsina was found to be unsubstantiated, with local sources confirming no such incident occurred.

In Jigawa, Amnesty International reported the deaths of two women and a man, but the police investigations revealed that only one fatality occurred, and it was attributed to violence by the protesters, not police action.

The police have emphasized that their findings paint a different picture of the events during the protests and plan to challenge Amnesty International’s report formally.