by Nurat Uthman
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, says a policeman was murdered while on duty during the #EndBadGovernance nationwide protests on Thursday.
At a briefing in Abuja, the police boss said some of his men were also injured by hoodlums who disguised as protesters.
Egbetokun said some police stations in the country were razed by rampaging rioters.
He lamented that events in major cities on Thursday were “mass uprising and looting, not protests”.
The leaders of the protests were not around to lead the rallies despite the initial warnings of the police, he claimed, adding that hoodlums took over the demonstrations.
“Police stations have been destroyed. There have been attempts to take over government houses,” Egbetokun said, adding that looting of public and private warehouses and facilities was widespread.
“In places like FCT, Kaduna, Kano and Gombe, among others, we recorded incidents of unprovoked attacks on our security personnel where one policeman has been reported murdered and others seriously injured.
“In light of the current situation, the Nigeria Police Force has placed all units on red alert. Our officers are fully mobilised and prepared to respond swiftly and decisively to public safety and order,” the IGP said.
