No Police Personnel Kills Colleague in Katsina During Protest

No Police Personnel Kills Colleague in Katsina During Protest

The Katsina State Police Command has denied claims made in a viral video that a police officer shot and killed a colleague while trying to disperse protesters in the state.

In a statement, command Spokesperson, ASP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu said the video is “manipulated and taken out of context, as there was no such shooting incident throughout the command during the protest.”

The police explained that the security agent shown motionless in the video was actually an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) who fell from a patrol vehicle due to an accident at the protest scene. The officer was immediately rushed to the hospital, treated, and discharged.

“We call on members of the public to disregard this misinformation and always verify information through official channels,” the statement read.

The Katsina State Government also dismissed reports of a second day of protests in the state on August 2, 2024, describing the claims as “incorrect, false and baseless.”

The government urged the media to cross-check facts before publishing and advised the public to disregard the “misleading story.”

The police assured the public of their continued professionalism and synergy with other security agencies to maintain peace and stability in Katsina State.

In another development, the Katsina State Government has refuted a media report claiming that there was a second day of protests in the state on August 2, 2024. The government has dismissed the report as false and baseless.

The report, which was published by the online media outlet Dockaysworld, claimed that “there was chaos in Katsina State after police officers, attempting to disperse protesters, mistakenly shot one of their own.” The report further stated that the incident occurred on the “second day of the ongoing protest.”

However, the Katsina State Government has categorically denied these allegations.

In a statement released by the Director of Press Office of the Secretary to the Government of Katsina State, Abdullahi Aliyu Yar’adua, the government stated that “there has not been an element of chaos or assembly of protesters in any part of Katsina State on Friday, the 2nd day of August, 2024.”

The government has advised the media outlet to retract the story and to always cross-check their facts before publishing. The statement also called on the people of Katsina State and the general public to disregard the “misleading story.”

The government’s swift response to the inaccurate report highlights the importance of factual and responsible journalism, especially when it comes to reporting on sensitive issues such as protests and civil unrest.

By PRNigeria