The speculation that live bullets were fired at #FreeNnamadiKanuNow protesters on Monday, October 20 has been put to rest by Police spokesman CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirming the police used no live ammunition.
According to him, the police, in line with Standard Operating Practice (SOP) fired teargas to disperse protesters who attempted to cross into the areas from where they were restricted by a court order.
Hundeyin said this when he appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday evening, October 20, monitored by Persecondnews.
He said: “I can state categorically, authoritatively, that no live ammunition was fired. It is very easy for people unfamiliar with the sounds to mistake the firing of tear gas for live ammunition.”
Persecondnews recalls that Omoyele Sowore, the convener of the protest, had alleged that the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies launched an unprovoked violent attack on protesters.
Sowore insisted that the demonstrators were being peaceful and orderly as he had promised, yet security agents still opened fire on them.
He said: “They did not particularly have any leadership; there were about 10 trucks that arrived at the same time as soon as we started the protest and people were coming around.
“There was no provocation on our part; it was orderly and peaceful; it was an unprovoked attack from the police force and a combined team of security people.”
Speaking on the fate of the arrested protesters, Hundeyin said they, including lawyer Aloy Ejimakor and Nnamdi Kanu’s relative, Fineboy Kanu, will be arraigned in court.
“They (those arrested) are currently at the state CID. Once we conclude investigations, they will be prosecuted,” he said.
Hundeyin argued that the police obtained an order from the Federal High Court restricting protesters from accessing certain parts of the FCT and key national institutions.
The action against the protesters, according to him, was taken based on intelligence reports suggesting that the protest could degenerate into violence.
“There was a group that protested along this road some years back, and it was anarchy. We saw ambulances burnt down. We cannot allow that to happen again,” He recalled.
Persecondnews had reported that the protest for Kanu’s release sparked a widespread security lockdown around the Presidential Villa and other parts of Abuja, causing gridlock on many roads.
Combined teams of soldiers, police officers, and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) mounted barricades on major entry points leading into the Central Business District (CBD), paralysing vehicular movements and leaving thousands of commuters stranded.
Access to the Three Arms Zone—housing the Presidential Villa, the National Assembly, and the Supreme Court—was severely restricted, with stringent stop-and-search operations in place.
The operatives turned back workers and private citizens attempting to reach their offices, leaving many stranded.
Persecondnews recalls that Kanu has been in DSS detention in Abuja since he was rearrested in Kenya and subjected to extraordinary rendition back to Nigeria on June 27, 2021.
He was arrested by Kenyan security operatives in collaboration with Nigerian authorities.
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