Integrity Youth Alliance has faulted the report of Amnesty International in which they accused security personnel of killing 13 protesters.
In the report released on Friday, the human rights organisation also alleged that the Nigerian authorities are growing hostility to dissent and the relentless repression of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly among other acts of rights violation.
Reacting to the allegations in a statement on Friday, the Integrity Youth Alliance described the report as a gross disservice to the Nigeria Police.
According to the statement signed by the Board Chairman of the Alliance. Adewole Kehinde said that the allegations made against the police by the organization are largely unsubstantiated.
Read the full statement below:
The report released by Amnesty International on Friday, August 2, 2024, claiming that the Nigeria Police has violated human rights, is a flagrant insult to the police force.
It has been noted that Amnesty International has made it a routine task to perpetuate unease among the populace by disseminating unverified reports, unsupported assertions, and statistics about police operations, particularly when operations and wanton killings by unidentified groups or individuals are conducted.
To put the records in the right context, it is important to reiterate that the Nigeria Police Force, a responsible organisation supported by taxpayers, will respond to these accusations.
For a while now, Amnesty International has been making claims about police extrajudicial killings of civilians and violations of human rights.
It should be noted that most of Amnesty International’s accusations against the police are unfounded.
Regretfully, Amnesty International has chosen not to condemn the needless deaths of law enforcement officers and the arson of multiple police stations throughout the nation.
Amnesty International’s stance betrays a clear disregard for the Nigerian constitution, of which these laws are a part. The Nigerian government and people are not, and will never be, prepared to appease Amnesty International or any other group by introducing such laws.
In general, there are concerns regarding the veracity and origins of the data produced by Amnesty International. Unfortunately, no one ever got in touch with the Nigeria Police to get more information.
Who knows if Amnesty International may have been funded to thwart efforts at conflict resolution that might have led to peace and the country’s constructive growth.
Amnesty International’s purposeful misrepresentation might harm the country’s reputation and its security forces.
Until security services step up to properly limit the operations of rebels and known criminals, Amnesty International does not appear to see anything wrong with their activities.
Amnesty International’s goal in Nigeria is to undermine the nation’s security forces by using inexpensive extortion to prevent the necessary cooperation with criminals posing as protestors.
Amnesty International’s portrayal of the Nigeria Police is inaccurate; the police force is obligated by the constitution and morality to protect Nigerian citizens, not to commit mass murder.
The information that the Nigeria police have gathered from the field so far is different from the reports published by Amnesty International, which lends credibility to Amnesty International sources.
This is to let the people of Nigeria and the world know that the Nigeria Police operate professionally. As a result, it is improper for a group like Amnesty International to instigate the people of Nigeria and the rest of the world against them.
The Nigeria Police does not, under any circumstances, support disorderly behaviour, breaking the law, or the willful killing of people or property damage.
The Nigeria Police Force operates under the guidelines of Standing Operational Procedures and Rules of Engagement, which provide specific guidelines for conducting operations. It is also important to highlight that the current Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, has instituted mandatory training for personnel in Human Rights and Laws of Armed Conflict, which has proven to be beneficial in all police institutions.
As a result, Amnesty International has been advised to contact Force Headquarters with any questions or concerns regarding civil operations before publishing any inaccurate reports that could damage the organization’s reputation and undermine the organization’s commitment to accountability.
The Nigerian public and international community are at this moment requested to disregard the current Amnesty report and keep faith and confidence in the Nigeria Police.
