Why we used tear gas to disperse free Nnamdi Kanu protesters — Police Headquarters

…As Amnesty International Decries Attempt to Suppress Peaceful Protest

By Kingsley Omonobi

ABUJA — The Nigeria Police Force Headquarters has defended the usage of teardrop state by its operatives to disperse protesters successful Abuja who were calling for the merchandise of the detained person of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

The incidental occurred crossed respective parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), including the Three Arms Zone, Maitama, and Jabi, wherever demonstrators had gathered to request Kanu’s merchandise from prolonged detention by the Department of State Services (DSS).

Protesters reportedly attempted to march toward the Three Arms Zone — an country that houses cardinal nationalist institutions specified arsenic the Presidential Villa, National Assembly, and Court of Appeal — prompting constabulary operatives to occurrence teardrop state canisters to disperse the crowd.

However, the enactment has drawn disapproval from Amnesty International Nigeria, which condemned what it described arsenic “an effort to suppress peaceful protests.”

In a connection posted connected its authoritative X grip connected Monday, Amnesty International said: “Amnesty International receives disturbing reports of attempts to ace down connected peaceful protests holding successful Abuja, calling for the merchandise of Nnamdi Kanu.

People indispensable beryllium allowed to freely workout their close to peaceful protest.

Any enactment susceptible of undermining state of assembly is amerciable and portrays unacceptable intolerance of peaceful dissent.”

The rights radical called connected the Nigerian authorities to guarantee that information agencies respect and facilitate citizens’ close to peaceful protest, arsenic guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution and planetary quality rights treaties, including the African Charter connected Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant connected Civil and Political Rights.

While urging the authorities to code the grievances of the demonstrators, Amnesty International demanded an contiguous extremity to the crackdown connected protesters.

Responding to the criticism, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, defended the constabulary action, insisting that it was carried retired successful enactment with existing ineligible restrictions connected protests successful delicate areas of the FCT.

In a station connected his X grip connected Monday, Hundeyin said: “Police tear-gassed protesters attempting to attack Aso Villa successful wide contravention of a tribunal bid restricting protesters from the Villa, National Assembly, Force Headquarters, Court of Appeal, Eagle Square, and Shehu Shagari Way.

We are the country’s foremost instrumentality enforcement agency. We carried retired our mandate.

And we did not artifact the roadworthy but cleared it aft it was blocked by the protesters to alteration different Nigerians casual transition to their respective destinations.”

Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has been successful the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021 and is presently facing proceedings connected terrorism-related charges earlier the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The station Why we utilized teardrop state to disperse escaped Nnamdi Kanu protesters — Police Headquarters appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.