Nigeria Police Force on Saturday released an update on incidents recorded in the nationwide protests against economic hardship in the country.
The Police also dismissed a report by Amnesty International that 13 individuals have so far lost their lives in the ongoing protests, which began on 1st August, 2024.
This is even as the Force said it has also arrested a total of 681 individuals alleged to have committed various criminal offenses, recovering two AK-47 rifles and assorted live ammunition from protesters.
The Police warned that the ongoing protest has turned violent, and advised law abiding citizens to immediately withdraw from the protest.
In a statement by Olumuyiwa Adejobi, Force Public Relations Officer on Saturday, the Nigerian Police said the total number of deaths recorded so far during the protests is seven.
According to the statement, nine Police officers sustained various degrees of injuries during attacks by protesters.
Giving a breakdown of incidents from the first two days of the nationwide protests, Adejobi said: “In Borno State, four (4) individuals lost their lives and thirty-four (34) were severely injured in a terrorist attack by suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP elements who infiltrated the crowd of protesters and detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).
“Additionally, an incident occurred involving an unregistered Honda Prelude car that ran into the protesters, resulting in the deaths of two (2) civilians.”
The police spokesman also said that there was another incident reported in Yauri Local Government Area of Kebbi State where a group of individuals mobilized to loot a shop, leading to a local vigilante man killing one of the looters.
He said there were no other recorded fatalities during the protests apart from those he mentioned.
However, Adejobi explained that incidences of armed robbery, arson, mischief, looting of public institutions and private businesses, destructions of both public and private property were recorded during the protest.
He said arrests were made with respect to the criminal incidences and a number of recoveries made from the suspects while the protest was going on.
