At a briefing on Thursday, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, had said a policeman was murdered while on duty during the #EndBadGovernance nationwide protests.
“In places like FCT, Kaduna, Kano and Gombe, among others, we recorded incidents of unprovoked attacks on our security personnel where one policeman has been reported murdered and others seriously injured.
“In light of the current situation, the Nigeria Police Force has placed all units on red alert. Our officers are fully mobilised and prepared to respond swiftly and decisively to public safety and order,” the IGP had said.
Activist Deji Adeyanju had on the same day challenged the IGP to name the policeman he claimed was killed. He had said it was not true that a cop was killed.
Some of the protesters’ demands include the restoration of petrol subsidies and the forex regime. They also want the government to address food shortages, unemployment and wasteful spending by those in power. Other demands are a reduction of the President’s cabinet and general cost of governance, immediate reforms of the electoral umpire INEC and anti-graft agency EFCC with renewed vigour in the fight against corrupt politicians.
The protests turned awry in Kano, Borno, Yobe, Kaduna, Jigawa, Nasarawa and other states where rampaging hoodlums took advantage of the situation and burned vehicles, and looted warehouses and private stores.
Till Day 3, policemen were seen dispersing protesters using tear gas, even as civil society organisations condemned the action of the police.