The Nigerian Police Force on Monday warned citizens, especially youths, against daring or challenging armed security personnel or criminals to shoot for their safety.

The public relations officer of the Lagos State Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin, warned on his official X handle on Monday that doing so could result in death.

The police spokesperson noted that the warning was not only about armed police officers but also about other armed security forces, persons or criminals.

Mr Hundeyin wrote, “Ladies and gentlemen, especially the woke generation, for your safety, please stop challenging or daring an armed person to shoot; asking an armed person, in a daring manner, how many people he/she can kill; and attempting to disarm an armed person.

“It never pans out well; nowhere in the world does it. A shot, once fired, can never be retrieved. A life once lost can never be brought back. Remember, one with a gun is the majority,” he added.

For years, many Nigerians, especially youths, have been victims of the police and the Nigerian Army’s shootings, while some were tortured to death in custody.

The numerous extrajudicial killings by the police resulted in protests across major cities across Nigeria in 2020, as Nigerians sought an end to the countless killings by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit of the Nigerian Police. 

The protest, however, resulted in the shooting of peaceful demonstrators shortly after the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, announced a curfew.

Many sources, including those from security sources, confirmed to Peoples Gazette that casualties were recorded on the night of the attack after soldiers fired at protesters who sat on the ground, singing the national anthem and waving the Nigerian flag.

Initially, the Nigerian Army denied being at the protest ground, stating that videos and photos from the scene were “doctored”. However, it later admitted officers’ presence and claimed that shots were only fired into the air to enforce the curfew.