Nigeria-Police Deny Involvement In Alleged-Shooting During Ijaw Youth-Protest (Details)

Nigeria-Police Deny Involvement In Alleged-Shooting During Ijaw Youth-Protest (Details)

The Rivers State Police Command has stated that its officers were not involved in any shooting, contrary to widespread reports.

According to Ireporteronline, viral video clips circulating online show security officers shooting sporadically during a protest. The protest involved Ijaw youths who had gathered at the Port Harcourt City Council secretariat to oppose the tenure extension of Local Government Chairmen, who were expected to vacate their offices on Monday.

Ichemanti, one of the leaders of the protesting Port Harcourt City youths, alleged that the police shot at one of the protesters during the incident.

However, when contacted by Ireporteronline, Rivers Police Public Relations Officer Grace Iringe-Koko denied the allegation, emphasizing that the police were present to maintain order.

“If you can see clearly in that video, there is no policeman shooting there. You can see them peacefully moving around because they are there to prevent a breakdown of law and order. So, there is no shooting,” she stated.

She urged the public to stop circulating false stories, adding, “That you heard gunshots doesn’t mean the police are shooting. If there was any shooting, you would have seen casualties.”

When asked about the identity of those responsible for the shooting, Iringe-Koko responded, “You were not there and I was not there, but you can trust me when I say the policemen deployed to the area were not shooting.”