The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, has clarified that contrary to the “false narrative” being spread by certain groups in the media, the Nigerian Police Force did not arrest any minors during the #EndBadGovernance protest. Instead, the police apprehended criminal individuals engaged in arson, property destruction, looting of shops and supermarkets, and other offenses.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, has clarified that contrary to the “false narrative” being spread by certain groups in the media, the Nigerian Police Force did not arrest any minors during the #EndBadGovernance protest. Instead, the police apprehended criminal individuals engaged in arson, property destruction, looting of shops and supermarkets, and other offenses.
The IGP made this known at a workshop on “Enhancing Professionalism and Standardization in Criminal Investigation,” held for heads of Police Investigative and Intelligence Units across the country” at the Police Resource Centre, Abuja.
Egbetokun said: “Firstly, I want to thank President Bola Tinubu for his fatherly disposition in directing the release of all the those arrested. But let me correct an impression, nobody, including any minor was arrested for embarking on the end bad governance protest. We provided security from protesters because we said that they have the right to protest.
“Those arrested were criminal elements who broke into warehouses, and shops, were looting. Those who were committing arson burning down people’s properties and public facilities by setting them on fire are the people we arrested.
“Minors were not arrested for participating in end bad governance protest. We arrested criminals They were not people who participated in the protest. It is a mischievous narrative being sold out there.
“The suspects were criminals arrested during that period of protest. They were captured on video committing arson, and destroying public properties. We saw on the video, the vandalization of public properties, large-scale looting of trading stores, and arson.”
Warning that Police officers who compromised the investigation would be made to face sanction, the IGP said: “Any officer found wanting to compromise the integrity of our investigation department will be sanctioned.
“Officers who were alleged to have arrested minors will not be sanctioned because they arrested criminals, not protesters or minors,” he added.
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