- Mr Kayode Egbetokun has addressed the heads of Police Investigative and Intelligence Units across the country at a workshop
- He announced at this workshop that the arrested offenders were not minors from the #EndBadGovernance protest
- He said that the force is committed to refining investigative practices, adhering to high standards of child protection, and continuous training
Mr Kayode Egbetokun has clarified that the recent arrests involved criminals who committed crimes such as breaking and entering, vandalising public facilities, arson, looting and other crimes, not minors who participated in the #EndBadGovernance protest as some reports suggested.
The Inspector General of Nigeria Police Force (IGP), Mr Kayode Egbetokun, said this at a workshop on “Enhancing Professionalism and Standardization in Criminal Investigation,” which was held for heads of Police Investigative and Intelligence Units across the country at the Police Resource Centre, Abuja, on Monday, November 11, 2024.
The IGP said, “Firstly, I want to thank President Bola Tinubu for his fatherly disposition in directing the release of all those arrested. But let me correct an impression: nobody, including any minor, was arrested for embarking on the end bad governance protest.
“We provided security for protesters because we said that they had the right to protest.”
He reiterated the force's unwavering commitment to safeguarding children's rights and well-being by adhering to the highest legal and global ethical standards, particularly the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Egbedokun added, “The force remains dedicated to implementing child-friendly policing practices that are supportive, non-traumatic, and rights-respecting, aimed at upholding the dignity and rights of children and young people while fostering a nurturing and protective environment.
“Those arrested were criminal elements who broke into warehouses and shops and were looting. Those who were committing arson burning down people's properties and public facilities by setting them on fire are the people we arrested.
“Minors were not arrested for participating in the end-of-bad governance protest. We arrested criminals. They were not people who participated in the protest. It is a mischievous narrative being sold out there.
“The suspects were criminals arrested during that period of protest. They were captured on video committing arson and destroying public properties. We saw on video the vandalisation of public properties, large-scale looting of trading stores and arson.”
He concluded that the Nigeria Police Force is committed to refining investigative practices, adhering to high standards of child protection, and continuously training, resulting in a stronger, more competent Police Force that will lead to the realisation of a just and secure society.
“Enough of the oppression”: Nigerians react to APC’s confidence in Tinubu's re-election bid in 2027
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that Nigerians reacted to recent comments made by Bala Ibrahim, the National Publicity Director of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), who expressed confidence that President Tinubu would secure a second term in office.
Ibrahim spoke optimistically about the long-term benefits of President Bola Tinubu's economic reforms, adding that Nigerians would soon recognise and appreciate the positive outcomes of these reforms, leading to widespread public support for the president.