The Nigeria Police Force has strongly denied allegations of extrajudicial killings during the August #hunger protests, describing a recent report by Amnesty International as “false, misleading, and damaging.”
The report, titled “Bloody August: Nigeria Government’s Violent Crackdown on #EndBadGovernance Protests,”accused the police of killing at least 24 people in six northern states between August 1 and 10. However, Force spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi, in a Sunday briefing, refuted the claims and announced plans to demand a retraction and public apology from the global rights group.
A special investigative panel, working with police commissioners in the affected states, was set up to verify Amnesty’s claims. According to Adejobi, their findings contradicted the report’s allegations:
In Borno State, allegations of police using grenades to kill three protesters were debunked. Instead, investigations revealed incidents of looting and destruction, including at facilities belonging to the United Nations and the World Food Programme. Claims of three individuals shot dead in Niger State were found to be baseless. Allegations of a 21-year-old being killed in Katsina State lacked evidence, with local sources confirming no such incident occurred. Amnesty’s claim of police killings in Kaduna State on October 1 was dismissed, with investigations pointing to an unrelated incident involving the Nigerian Army. Reports of two women and a man killed during protests in Jigawa State were contradicted by evidence suggesting the lone fatality resulted from protester violence. Amnesty’s claim of 12 deaths in Kano State due to police action was attributed instead to clashes involving looters and criminals.
Adejobi criticized Amnesty International for what he described as a pattern of inaccurate reporting on law enforcement in Nigeria.
“Amnesty International must reflect on its methodology to ensure accurate and fair reporting,” he said. “The integrity of international organizations depends on factual reporting, and Amnesty must not be an exception.”
He added that the Nigeria Police Force remains committed to protecting citizens’ rights while ensuring public safety and urged Nigerians to be cautious of sensationalized reports designed to erode trust in law enforcement institutions.
The police intend to formally request Amnesty to retract its report from public space and issue a public apology.
This rebuttal comes amid ongoing tensions between Amnesty International and Nigerian authorities over human rights concerns, with both sides presenting divergent accounts of events.
