The Bauchi State Police Command has denied claims that its agents shot and killed one of the violent protestors in Azare, the state’s Katagum Local Government Area headquarters, on Monday.
Recall that the State Government had declared a 24-hour curfew in Katagum on Monday, following the escalation of the crisis in Azare, the headquarters of Katagum, where hoodlums took advantage of the protest to vandalise the Government House Annex, the house of a former Deputy Governor of the state, broke into shops and looted properties.
However, in response to a purported video circulating online in some sections of the media claiming that security operatives gunned down a protester in Azare, the Command, in a statement made available to journalists in Bauchi on Tuesday by its Spokesman, SP Ahmed Wakili, stated that the claims are false and misleading.
According to the statement, the Command did not record such a cruel behaviour at the given place or anywhere else in the state.
“The video is fabricated, and it is important for the public to know that the police were not involved in any such incident,” Wakili claimed.
He explained that “Prior to the nationwide protests, the 22nd Indigenous Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun PhD, NPM, issued a directive on July 31, 2024, that all officers are to appear in camouflage uniforms with a red band on the left-hand side. This is to provide clear identification of all policemen deployed nationwide.”
”In light of this, the video in circulation does not portray or indict any policeman as published by some sections of social media.” he added.
The Spokesman stated that the Command has formed a team of investigators made up of seasoned detectives who have been tasked with responding to any complaints, suspicions, and insinuations from various sources.
