The Nigeria Police Force has denied a recent report by Amnesty International claiming that 13 individuals have lost their lives due to the ongoing protests in Nigeria.
News About Nigeria reports that this is contained in a statement released on Saturday by ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, Force Public Relations Officer.
The police force provided an accurate account of incidents from the first two days of the nationwide protests.
According to the statement, four individuals lost their lives and 34 were severely injured in a terrorist attack by suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP elements who infiltrated the crowd of protesters and detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Borno State.
Additionally, an incident occurred involving an unregistered Honda Prelude car that ran into the protesters, resulting in the deaths of two civilians.
The driver abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene.
In Kebbi State, a group of individuals mobilised to loot a shop, resulting in the death of one of the looters, who was shot by a local vigilante man.
The Commissioner of Police in charge of Kebbi State is currently investigating the incident.
These incidents bring the total number of deaths recorded during the protests to seven.
The police force stated that there were no other recorded fatalities during the protests apart from those mentioned above.
However, incidences of armed robbery, arson, mischief, looting of public institutions and private businesses, and destruction of both public and private property were recorded during the protest.
It added that arrests were made, and recoveries were made from the suspects while the protest was ongoing.
Speaking further, in instances where protesters became riotous, the police employed teargas to disperse them.
The police have arrested a total of 681 individuals who committed various criminal offenses, and dangerous weapons, including two AK-47 rifles and assorted live ammunition, were recovered from the suspects.
The police force advised law-abiding citizens taking part in the protest across the country to immediately withdraw from it, as the ongoing protest has turned violent.
