The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has threatened legal actions against Amnesty International for its 2024 report detailing how policemen attacked #EndBadGovernance protesters in August.
For its publication titled Bloody August: Nigeria Government’s Violent Crackdown on End Bad Governance Protests, the police asked the human rights organisation to retract the publication immediately and apologise publicly or face possible legal actions if the requests are not met.
A briefing published by the rights organisation in November 2024 disclosed that at least 24 protesters were killed and 1,200 arrested during the nationwide August protest.
However, the police, in a letter it wrote to Amnesty International on January 6, 2025 but made known to the public on Tuesday, described the organisations’ claims as “unsubstantiated, false, and damaging to their reputation”. This was disclosed in a statement by Muyiwa Adejobi, the spokesperson of the police force, on Tuesday.
“In light of these falsehoods, the NPF has demanded that Amnesty International issues a formal retraction and public apology within seven days. Failure to comply will prompt the NPF to consider legal actions to protect its reputation,” Adejobi wrote on X.
According to Adejobi, the publication includes numerous unsubstantiated claims and it falsely accuses the police of human rights violations, police brutality, and excessive violence during the August 2024 protests.
“Upon careful review and investigation, the NPF categorically rejects these baseless allegations, affirming that the claims are entirely false and without foundation,” the statement reads.
“The NPF emphasises that during the protests, the police acted with restraint and professionalism, even at the highest point of provocation and violent attacks, adhering to global best practices and using minimal force where necessary. Evidence, including national media coverage, demonstrates the Police’s efforts to maintain law and order while safeguarding peaceful protesters. Criminal elements attempting to exploit the protests were however arrested and dealt with according to law.”
