The Nigeria Police Force claimed terrorists and vigilantes were responsible for the murder of protesters across the country during the ongoing demonstrations against hunger and corruption despite evidence pointing to security operatives as the perpetrators.

“The Nigeria Police Force finds it necessary to refute a recent report publicised by Amnesty International, which claims that thirteen (13) individuals have lost their lives due to the protests in Nigeria that began on 1st August 2024,” the force said in a statement.

According to Amnesty International, 13 people were killed on the first day of the #EndBadGovernance protest alone, which started on Thursday as the organisation pointed fingers at Nigerian security operatives deployed across the nation to quell the demonstrations. 

Amnesty International said six people were killed in Suleja, Niger state, with dozens of others injured; four deaths were recorded in Maiduguri, Borno state, while three protesters were killed in Kaduna, describing the incident as “unjustified and unacceptable”.

Reacting to Amnesty International’s report, the police statement on Saturday denied the accusations, claiming terrorists and vigilantes were responsible for the murder of protesters across several locations in the country. 

“The Nigeria Police Force wishes to provide an accurate account of incidents from the first two (2) days of the nationwide protests,” the police said in a statement published on social media.

“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).”

The police also accused an unnamed driver, who they claimed is currently at large, for being responsible for the death of another two protesters, saying “an incident occurred involving an unregistered Honda Prelude car that ran into the protesters, resulting in the deaths of two (2) civilians. The driver abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene.”

“Although the vehicle was vandalised after the incident, it has been recovered and is currently in police custody. Efforts are ongoing to trace the driver and bring him to justice,” the statement noted.

On the third day of the protest on Saturday, the combined team of the police force and State Security Service (SSS) operatives fired teargas and live rounds at protesters and journalists covering the demonstration in Abuja.