The Nigeria Police Force has defended its implementation of a court order preventing the #FreeNnamdiKanu protest from entering critical government districts in Abuja, claiming that its personnel followed the law and only deployed tear gas to disperse demonstrators.
Benjamin Hundeyin, Force Public Relations Officer, stated this in an interview with Channels Television on Monday.
He noted that the decision followed a lawful Federal High Court order issued on Friday.
According to him, the injunction prohibited demonstrators from gathering at or marching to critical locations such as the Aso Villa, Supreme Court, National Assembly, Eagles Square, and Shehu Shagari Way, among others.
“We got a court order specifically about this protest and restricting protests from certain areas like the Aso Villa, the Supreme Court, the National Assembly, Eagle Square, the Force Headquarters, and Shagari Way. As a law enforcement agency, we are duty-bound to enforce that order,” Hundeyin said.
He explained that the Force acted after obtaining intelligence indicating potential disturbance if the protest reached the restricted zones, and that the police were required to maintain law and order.
“We have records of past protests where things were destroyed. So, it is our duty to protect life and property. Whatever lawful steps we need to take to achieve that mandate are what we’ll take,” he added.
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Hundeyin maintained that officers only used “minimal force” to disperse protesters who allegedly attempted to move towards the banned areas despite repeated warnings.
“We gave enough warning for these people to step back, but they were adamant. We used tear gas in line with our standard operating procedures. That was the least we could do. Nobody was harmed or injured,” he said.
Hundeyin also denied reports that live ammunition was used during the protest, saying such claims were “false and misleading.”
“I can state categorically that no live ammunition was fired today. It’s easy for people who are not familiar with the sounds to mistake the firing of tear gas for live bullets, but I can say with authority that only tear gas was used,” he clarified.
He mentioned that the court order was not a secret document and that the protest organizers were directed to appear in court on Monday morning as part of the proceedings.
“The court order is not classified. It’s available, and it clearly stated that the other party should appear this morning at 9 a.m. in court, just for the spirit of fair play,” he added.
The Police PRO called on protesters to express their grievances peacefully and within the confines of the law, stressing that the Federal Capital Territory was large enough for their voices to be heard without threatening critical infrastructure.
“No matter where you protest, your voices will be heard. This is the age of the internet—people can stream and make their voices known. But we must learn from the past and prevent chaos before it happens,” he said.
The #FreeNnamdiKanu protest was organized by activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, who had asked Nigerians to rally in Abuja on Monday to demand the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the incarcerated leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra.
In the days leading up to the demonstration, Sowore used his social media platforms to rally followers, stressing that peaceful assembly was a fundamental right and urging police to protect, not threaten, demonstrators.
