The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has revealed that a police officer was killed while carrying out his duties amidst the #EndBadGovernance nationwide protest on Thursday.
Naija News reports that the police boss disclosed this during a press conference held in Abuja following the supposed peaceful protest that turned violent in some locations across the country on Thursday.
Egbetokun further disclosed that some of his officers sustained injuries from individuals posing as protesters.
The police chief expressed sorrow over the destruction of several police stations across the country by violent rioters.
He emphasized that the incidents witnessed in major cities on Thursday were characterized by “mass uprising and looting” rather than peaceful protests.
Despite prior warnings issued by the police, Egbetokun noted that the organizers of the protests were conspicuously absent during the demonstrations, allowing miscreants to hijack the events.
In light of these events, the IGP said that the force has placed all units on red alert.
“Police stations have been destroyed. There have been attempts to take over government houses,” Egbetokun said, adding that looting of public and private warehouses and facilities was widespread.
“In places like FCT, Kaduna, Kano and Gombe, among others, we recorded incidents of unprovoked attacks on our security personnel where one policeman has been reported murdered and others seriously injured.
“In light of the current situation, the Nigeria Police Force has placed all units on red alert. Our officers are fully mobilised and prepared to respond swiftly and decisively to public safety and order,” the IGP said.
Naija News reports that the protests against bad governance escalated into violence in Kano, Borno, Yobe, and Nasarawa states, as well as in 32 other states of the Federation and the nation’s capital.
Rampaging hoodlums set vehicles on fire, and looted warehouses, and private stores.
Policemen were observed using tear gas to disperse protesters, while civil society organizations criticized the police’s actions.
Curfews have been enforced in Kano, Borno, Yobe, and Nasarawa states.
The nationwide protests against economic hardship, which began on Thursday, August 1, 2024, and are expected to continue until August 10, have been widely shared on social media.
This includes all states of the Federation and the nation’s capital, Abuja.
The prices of food and essential goods have skyrocketed in recent months as Nigerians grapple with one of the country’s highest inflation rates and economic crises caused by the government’s decisions to remove petrol subsidies and unify forex windows.
The police, military, and the Department of State Services had cautioned against protests similar to those seen in Kenya.
Despite politicians’ concerns that the planned rallies could mirror the EndSARS demonstrations of October 2020, young people have remained undeterred.
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