Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has dispelled claims that its men fired live bullets at protesters who defied the ban on the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest demonstration in Abuja on Monday.
During an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed that officers employed the use of tear gas, and not live bullets, to disperse the masses.
“I can state unequivocally that no live ammunition was deployed today. It is easy for individuals who are not familiar with the noises to get confused between the launching of tear gas and live bullets,” Hundeyin explained.
He added that the police acted to protect strategic national infrastructure in the Three Arms Zone where the Presidential Villa, National Assembly, and other strategic institutions are located in line with a pending court order capping protests in such areas.
Hundeyin explained that the operation was carried out with restraint and within the bounds of the law.
Also featured on the programme was Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) National Chairman, Dan Nwanyanwu, who supported the protest as a justifiable move.
“It is a valid demand, and I am in support of the protest. There are many Nigerians supporting it. To the best of my knowledge, Nnamdi Kanu did nothing that will justify his being placed in detention for five years,” Nwanyanwu said.
