Date: 2020-10-20

The Police Command in Kwara State has debunked the alleged involvement of its personnel in the disruption of the #EndSARS protest, held in Ilorin on Sunday. The Police Public Relations Officer of the command, SP Okasanmi Ajayi, in a statement issued on Monday, described the tweet alleging that the police attacked and disrupted the protest as mischievous.

"The Police Command in Kwara wishes to debunk the mischievous story of the police disrupting or attacking EndSARS protesters in Ilorin on Sunday, as claimed by a tweet in circulation.

"Since the beginning of the EndSARS protest in Kwara, the protesters have enjoyed the total protection of the police command.

"There has neither been any negative report from the protesters nor the citizens in the course of the protests,' Ajayi said.

He added that the protest had been peaceful and hitch-free until some of the protesters attempted to loot some shops at the Post Office area but were promptly resisted by the shop owners.

"The tweet in question was an obvious mischief that should not be taken seriously," he said.

The PPRO quoted the Commissioner of Police in the state, Kayode Egbetokun, as reiterating the command's absolute commitment to the protection of lives and property and the youth embarking on peaceful protest in the state.

Egbetokun appealed to the youth to carry out their protests in a peaceful manner as they had been doing in the last eight days.

He also urged them to watch out for the hoodlums who might want to use the opportunity to loot the shops of other law-abiding and hardworking youths.

"I believe peaceful protest is a right that must be exercised without violating the rights of others. The protesters should, therefore, refrain from violating the rights of others.

"I also appeal to the people of Kwara to be wary of what they read in the social media and not be misled by false publications.

"They should always verify the facts before they tweet, re-tweet, post or circulate negative stories, especially at this delicate period.

"We should not be pushed into crisis that will hurt our economy further when we have yet to recover from the economic hurt of the coronavirus lockdown. "People should go about their lawful businesses without any fear of molestation," he said.

According to Egbetokun, complaints against policemen in the state can be made directly to his office through these phone numbers: 08125275046 and 07032069501, adding that the same numbers will be available for feedbacks on the complaints. NAN