According to reports, Rivers State Police Command personnel sprayed tear gas or opened fire on demonstrators of the “Take It Back” movement at a demonstration on Monday.
The police characterized the stories as untrue and the claims as “unfounded” in a statement released by SP Grace Iringe-Koko, the Command’s Public Relations Officer.
The statement said that officers were sent to certain areas after receiving information about the demonstration.
Despite the appearance of a protest, the police claimed that it was actually a bunch of criminals stealing valuables and cell phones from the public.
Iringe-Koko said, “A group of criminals were seen committing crimes upon arrival, such as stealing cell phones and other valuables from civilians who were not paying attention.
“Our agents moved quickly to scatter the people.”
A “deliberate fabrication by mischief makers seeking to incite public anxiety and create unnecessary tension within the state,” she added, was how she put the accusations against the police.
The Command promised locals that they were safe and advised the public to ignore what it described as “unfounded claims.”
“The Rivers State Police Command vehemently denounces this act of disinformation and issues a warning to the individuals or organizations perpetrating it to stop right away.
According to the statement, “public peace and security are seriously threatened by the dissemination of unreliable and false information.”
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The police urged citizens to report suspicious activity or misconduct using official contact lines and reaffirmed their dedication to protecting people and property throughout Rivers State in a professional, legal, and community-friendly way.
However, reporters covering the rally characterized it as a nonviolent protest before the alleged disturbance by police, which runs counter to the police narrative.
Police used tear gas and, some demonstrators claimed, “live bullets” on journalists, injuring some of them as they fled the site.
During the protest, Charles Opurum, a Channels Television correspondent, was also arrested but eventually freed.
