Nigeria Police say unharmed women teargassed not shot

0 1 minute read

The Nigeria Police, Delta command, has defended the allegation of brutality against unharmed women protesting extortion and harassment. The police admitted teargassing the protesters but denied shooting live bullets at anyone, as reported.

An online newspaper had reported how the police fired at the victims and published photographs of some of them receiving treatments at a hospital.

Bright Edafe, spokesperson for the state’s command, urged the public to disregard the claim of the shooting. He implied that some persons he failed to name sponsored the women to attack a police formation, where they attacked a police officer.

“For the records, women who were suspected to have been sponsored came out in their numbers in protest that they did not want to see policemen on the road, forced their way into the Area Command premises, and beat up a policeman.

“They were forcefully dispersed with the use of tear gas. Nobody was shot,” he said.

According to the initial report, the police had shot at a ‘middle-aged woman’ while several others among the protesters sustained injuries.

The report said the women, from Oteri-Ughelli, in Ughelli North Local Government Area, were protesting police harassment and extortion.

The protesters alleged the police whimsically arrest their children and wards and subsequently ask for huge amount to release them.