Police spokesman Hundeyin says 13 arrested during pro-Kanu protest, insists no live ammunition was fired.
The spokesperson of the Nigeria Police Force, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, has defended police actions during Monday’s protests in Abuja calling for the release of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, insisting that officers acted within the law and used only “minimum force” in enforcing a valid court order restricting protests to certain parts of the city.
Speaking in an interview with ARISE News on Monday, Hundeyin said the police response was guided by a court order which clearly prohibited protests in sensitive areas such as the Three Arms Zone, the Court of Appeal Complex, the Presidential Villa, Eagle Square, the National Assembly, and Force Headquarters.
“The brief was clear. There is a court order saying protesters are not to go to certain areas clearly spelt out in the order and in the statement we issued on Saturday. For anybody trying to go into these areas, they will be stopped with minimum force,” he explained.
“Some people indeed marched into these restricted areas and they were arrested. We used minimum force commensurate with the resistance we got — and that was the use of tear gas to disperse the crowd. No injury was recorded, and the protesters were dispersed after several warnings.”
He categorically denied reports that live bullets were fired, describing such claims as false and misleading.
“There was absolutely no use of live bullets. It is very common for people to mistake the popping sound from tear gas canisters for live bullets, but I can tell you on good authority that live bullets were not used today,” he said.
Hundeyin confirmed that 13 persons were arrested during the protest, including Nnamdi Kanu’s brother, Emmanuel Kanu, and his lawyer, Barrister Aloy Ejimakor.
“Initially, eight people were arrested in the morning, and later, five others were taken into custody, making a total of 13. Statements have been taken and investigations have been wrapped up. They will be prosecuted first thing tomorrow. They will not spend up to 24 hours in our custody,” he added.
He also clarified that the arrests took place in restricted zones such as Transcorp, Shehu Shagari Way, and the Ministry of Finance area.
“Transcorp is just a feeder into Shehu Shagari Way. Some of the protesters moved into restricted areas, and that was why they were arrested. For other protesters who did not contravene the court order, there was no confrontation,” he explained.
Responding to concerns that counter-protesters were not dispersed, Hundeyin said the police acted strictly based on the court’s directive.
“The court order mentioned where gatherings should not take place, and that was our focus. We didn’t get reports of protesters in other parts of Abuja causing gridlock or preventing movement. If that had happened, we would have responded,” he said.
On the necessity of using tear gas, he defended it as “a global standard operational procedure.”
“World over, police forces use tear gas. It is a minimal force option. If protesters defy warnings not to go beyond certain areas provided for by court order and become confrontational, tear gas is far better than using live bullets,” he stressed.
“If this situation presented itself tomorrow, we would use tear gas again because that is the minimal force we could use in this instance.”
Addressin questions about whether the ex parte court order was properly communicated to the protesters, Hundeyin said the police were transparent.
“The court order was obtained on Friday, and we issued a statement on Saturday with all details — the court, the judge, and the suit number. It also made clear that the other party was to appear in court on Monday morning. We hid nothing; we made everything clear to Nigerians,” he said.
On the recurring perception that anti-government protests are often met with police brutality, Hundeyin dismissed the claim, saying outcomes depend on protesters’ conduct.
“In this same country, we’ve had peaceful protests where the police even provided water and cookies. It all depends on the protesters — whether they choose to be law-abiding or unruly,” he concluded.
