The Nigeria Police Force has defended its enforcement of a court order restricting the #FreeNnamdiKanu protest from accessing key government areas in Abuja, insisting that its officers acted within the law and only used tear gas to disperse demonstrators.
Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, stated this during an interview on Channels Television on Monday.
According to Hundeyin, the police acted based on a valid order from the Federal High Court obtained on Friday, which barred protesters from converging on or marching toward strategic areas including the Aso Villa, Supreme Court, National Assembly, Eagles Square, and Shehu Shagari Way.
“We got a court order specifically about this protest and restricting protests from certain areas like the Aso Villa, the Supreme Court, the National Assembly, Eagle Square, the Force Headquarters, and Shagari Way. As a law enforcement agency, we are duty-bound to enforce that order,” Hundeyin said.
He explained that intelligence reports indicated possible unrest if the protest reached those restricted zones, adding that the police were obligated to prevent a breakdown of law and order.
“We have records of past protests where things were destroyed. So, it is our duty to protect life and property. Whatever lawful steps we need to take to achieve that mandate are what we’ll take,” he added.
The Force spokesperson emphasized that officers only used “minimal force” to disperse protesters who allegedly attempted to move toward the banned areas despite repeated warnings.
“We gave enough warning for these people to step back, but they were adamant. We used tear gas in line with our standard operating procedures. That was the least we could do. Nobody was harmed or injured,” he said.
Hundeyin also dismissed reports that live ammunition was used during the protest, describing such claims as “false and misleading.”
“I can state categorically that no live ammunition was fired today. It’s easy for people who are not familiar with the sounds to mistake the firing of tear gas for live bullets, but I can say with authority that only tear gas was used,” he clarified.
He further noted that the court order was not a secret document, explaining that the protest organisers were directed to appear in court on Monday morning as part of the proceedings.
“The court order is not classified. It’s available, and it clearly stated that the other party should appear this morning at 9 a.m. in court, just for the spirit of fair play,” Hundeyin added.
The Force PRO urged protesters to express their grievances peacefully and within the confines of the law, stressing that the Federal Capital Territory was large enough for their voices to be heard without threatening critical infrastructure.
“No matter where you protest, your voices will be heard. This is the age of the internet — people can stream and make their voices known. But we must learn from the past and prevent chaos before it happens,” he said.
The #FreeNnamdiKanu protest was convened by activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, who had urged Nigerians to gather in Abuja to demand the release of detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu.
