Reports that its officers fired tear gas or opened fire to scatter “Take It Back” demonstrators at a march on Monday have been refuted by the Rivers State Police Command.
The police called the claims “unfounded” and the reports “false,” according to a statement released by SP Grace Iringe-Koko, the Command’s Public Relations Officer.
The statement claimed that after receiving information about the rally, cops were sent to particular areas.
The police claimed that what seemed to be a protest was actually a gang of criminals stealing valuables and cell phones from the general population.
According to Iringe-Koko, “A group of criminals were seen committing crimes upon arrival, such as stealing cell phones and other valuables from unwary citizens.
“Our officers moved quickly, scattering the people.”
“Deliberate fabrication by mischief makers seeking to incite public anxiety and create unnecessary tension within the state” is how she went on to characterize the accusations made against the police.
The Command reassured locals of their safety 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 anyone responsible for spreading such lies to stop right away.
“Public peace and security are seriously threatened by the dissemination of false and unsubstantiated information,” the statement continued.
While encouraging citizens to report suspicious activity or wrongdoing through official contact lines, the police restated their commitment to defending lives and property throughout Rivers State in a professional, legal, and community-friendly way.
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Journalists covering the rally, however, characterized it as a nonviolent protest before the alleged disturbance by police, in contrast to the police narrative.
Police used tear gas and, some demonstrators said, “live bullets,” injuring some journalists as they fled the scene.
Charles Opurum, a Channels Television correspondent, was also detained during the rally but was subsequently freed.
