DID IGP Tell Nigerians To Beat Up Policemen Searching Phones? SEE What The Police Boss Actually Said
Over the weekend, reports went viral that the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun has instructed Nigerians to physically assault and throw stones at police officers, who request to search through their cell phones.
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The reports made the rounds alongside a screenshot of a report titled, “Beat up any policeman who asks to check your phone, stone him if he has a gun, make sure you fight back because it is your right to have a phone”, and credited to the IGP.
Reacting to the reports, the Nigeria Police in a statement issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, described the reports as fake.
The force PRO therefore clarified what the Police IGP actually directed Nigerians to do about errant officers harassing them.
Mr. Adejobi said the claim “is entirely false and has no basis in reality. The IGP has not issued any such directive encouraging violence against law enforcement officers.”
On what the Police IG said, the Force PRO explained that, “Instead, he (IGP) has called on citizens to report instances of police misconduct through appropriate channels.
“This approach underscores the importance of accountability and maintaining the rule of law, rather than resorting to violent actions.”
Speaking on another subject via a different statement, Mr. Adejobi dismissed allegations made by Amnesty International (AI) in its #EndBadGovernance Protests report, describing the claims as false, misleading, and damaging to its image.
The report, titled “Bloody August: Nigeria Government’s Violent Crackdown on #EndBadGovernance Protests,” and dated November 28, 2024, accused the police of extrajudicial killings during the protests, claiming that at least 24 people were killed in six northern states.
Reacting to the report, Mr. Adejobi said their findings contradicted all allegations made by Amnesty International.
He further stated that a special investigative panel had been constituted to verify the claims, and its finding showed something different.
He added that the police would write to demand the report be retracted and a public apology for the alleged inaccuracies.
While giving a breakdown of the police finding, the Force PRO 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 example, the Skill Acquisition Centre of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees was looted and vandalised.
“The warehouse of the World Food Programme, located on Baga/Maimalari Barracks Road, Maiduguri, was also looted, with several items belonging to the international organisation destroyed and stolen by some of the protesters.
“Therefore, the claims by Amnesty International that the police threw a hand grenade from a convoy of vehicles into a filling station, killing three persons, is a blatant falsehood and leaves right-thinking members of society dismayed at this reported falsehood by an international agency that ought to act under international norms and standards of fair and honest reporting of human rights violations in the country.”
He further said in Niger State, the claim that three individuals were shot dead in Suleja was debunked in the police findings.
Mr. Adejobi said the alleged killing of a 21-year-old in Katsina was also found to be unsubstantiated, adding that local sources confirmed that no such incident occurred.
The Force PRO added that Amnesty International reported the deaths of two women and a man during protests in Jigawa.
Still, the police investigations revealed no such killings, and evidence suggested that the lone fatality was caused by protester violence, not police action.
In other news, the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu led Federal Government yesterday condoled with families of the victims of the weekend’s stampedes in Anamabra, Abuja where no fewer than 39 people died.
It also commiserated with the families of the kids crushed to death on Wednesday in Ibadan.
The three disasters occurred during attempts to share palliatives to the vulnerable.
Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris, who conveyed the condolences, however, cautioned those politicising the unfortunate incidents, saying President Tinubu’s reset of the economy has nothing to do with the stampede deaths.
Mr. Idris said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and all those affected by these unfortunate incidents.”
The Minister said the tragedies were deeply saddening and underscored the importance of ensuring proper crowd management during such charitable activities, especially during the festive season.
Acknowledging the noble intentions of organisers seeking to bring relief to vulnerable members of society, the minister admonished all individuals and organisations planning similar events to comply with the directive of the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun on liaising with the police formations for effective crowd control and security measures.
According to him, collaboration with the police and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), is crucial to safeguarding lives and ensuring that such efforts to assist those in need do not inadvertently lead to further distress.
The minister also urged politicians and other stakeholders to refrain from politicising the unfortunate incidents, stressing that those tragic events are in no way connected to President Tinubu’s administration’s economic reforms.
“It is worth noting that similar unfortunate occurrences have been recorded in the past, before the current administration, as such, making any attempt to link these tragedies to the President’s reforms is unfounded and disingenuous,” he said.
Mr. Idris added that the reforms, while repositioning the Nigerian economy for sustainable growth, are designed to uplift the lives of all Nigerians, particularly the vulnerable without causing distress.
The Minister called for a collective sense of responsibility and urged citizens to unite and ensure that the Yuletide season is marked by peace, goodwill, and joy, devoid of preventable tragedies.
On its part, Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, blamed the “anti-people policies” of the All Progressives Congress-led government for exacerbated poverty and created widespread hunger across the nation.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the PDP said the “anti-people policies,” including fuel subsidy removal and floating of the naira were key contributors to the nation’s economic struggles.
It argued that the policies, combined with mismanagement and corruption, have led to a sharp decline in living standards, pushing many Nigerians into extreme hardship.
The statement partly reads: ”The PDP is devastated that the APC-led administration has wrecked our once thriving economy and pushed millions of Nigerians deeper into abject poverty and hunger with many citizens, not being able to afford their daily meals, now resorting to suicide and desperate measures including slavery mission abroad and fighting for crumbs for survival.
“It is heart-breaking that despite our abundant resources as a nation, Nigerians have been subjected to agonising life where they die struggling for food.
“This horrifying situation in the country further confirms the APC as a party of ‘political vampires and buccaneers’ who have no iota of regard for human life but rather derive pleasure in the suffering and death of citizens including innocent children.
“Only this explains why the APC administration continues in arrogant false performance claims including empty assurances of food sufficiency while deliberately failing to make the required investments to boost the productive sector, particularly in agriculture and food production.”
The party also criticised the APC government for failing to invest adequately in Agriculture, despite repeated calls from stakeholders, including the opposition, for measures to address food insecurity.
It also alleged that resources meant to alleviate the suffering of citizens have been misappropriated, citing claims of palliative mismanagement and inflated government contracts.
Mourning the victims of the stampedes, the PDP hailed Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde for providing medical assistance to those injured in the Ibadan stampede.
It called for a probe into the incidents and extended condolences to the victims’ families in Okija and Abuja.
Former President Buhari has also condoled with President Tinubu over the stampedes.
Buhari, in a message yesterday, also expressed sympathy to Governors Makinde and Soludo as well as Wike and the Catholic community on the tragedies.
He also wished those injured in the stampedes speedy recovery.
Buhari further extended his warm wishes to Nigerians on the occasion of Christmas and called on Christians to recall the noble teachings of Jesus Christ.
On his part, Governor Soludo yesterday said an investigation into the Okija stampede had commenced.
Describing the incident as regrettable, Governor Soludo extended his condolences to the families of the deceased unfortunate incident.
“The Anambra State Government in prompt action on the incident has initiated a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the stampede,” the governor said.
He assured that “the government will work closely with relevant agencies to determine the root causes of this unfortunate event and ensure that any negligence or lapses in safety protocols are duly addressed.”
Governor Soludo, according to the statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Christian Aburime, implored all well-meaning individuals and organisations engaged in charitable activities to prioritise the safety and well-being of beneficiaries.
