By Kelvin Adegbenga
After reading Amnesty International’s so-called “34-page report titled “Bloody August: Nigerian Government’s Violent Crackdown On #Endbadgovernance Protests,” I had no choice but to respond to some of the misleading reports by the organisation.
I doubt if the Nigeria Police has responded to the report, but I can say that the report in its entirety was misleading, a clear misrepresentation of facts, unverified accounts, and an absolute distortion of what happened during the #Endbadgovernance protests.
Amnesty International had, in a report, said, “Nigerian police used excessive force against protesters, killing at least 24 people in the states of Borno, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, and Niger.”
The report, released on Wednesday, said, “In all cases the victims were shot by the police, firing live ammunition at close range, often at the head or torso, suggesting that officers were shooting to kill.”.
Unquestionably, the study mirrored Amnesty International’s unique perspective and approach of demeaning and condemning governmental institutions, especially in countries like Nigeria.
I was wondering whether Amnesty International is blind to the attacks on security operatives deployed to manage the protests.
I have gone around all credible media organisations, and I didn’t see where it was published that the police use any live ammunition in the management of these protests. Instead, what I read were cases where police personnel were injured and were in critical condition.
The Amnesty International report is a very wrong allegation. The police didn’t use excessive force at all. What the police used during the protest was tear gas and nothing more.
Those who embarked on peaceful protest enjoyed the protection of the police, while those involved in other criminal activities were arrested and prosecuted.
The Nigeria police personnel under IGP Egbetokun are committed to upholding the fundamental human rights of every Nigerian as enshrined in Chapter 4 of the Nigeria constitution and also in accordance with the Africa Charter of Rights and the UN Declaration of Human Rights.
The Nigeria police, as an institution, is guided by the principles of democratic policing and international best practices in protest management. Upon assumption of office, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, has reorganised the Nigeria police and ensured that its activities conform to international best practices, especially the policing of protests.
Amnesty International, in its recommendation, called for training to security agencies on the legal framework that governs the policing of protests and to be adequately trained in techniques of crowd facilitation and management.
I will advise those funding Amnesty International to channel their funding to the Nigeria Police on international human rights standards to make them aware of the circumstances in which restrictions on assembly may be imposed and clearly understand the limits of their authority, notably concerning the use of force.
The so-called Amnesty International report on the police killing of 24 protesters should be disregarded by Nigerians and the international community, in my opinion, as it is blatantly malicious and a calculated attempt to further a campaign of defamation and a covert agenda to stifle development and progress in nations such as Nigeria.
Since assumption of office, IGP Egbetokun, the Nigeria police, has continued to discharge its statutory functions according to all known laws and regulations despite obvious distractions.
I firmly believe that the Nigeria police should disregard the false allegation from Amnesty International and continue to implement international police reforms, follow the rules regarding punishment and incentives, and cultivate public trust.
Kelvin Adegbenga is based in Lagos. kelvinadegbenga@yahoo.com @kelvinadegbenga
