The Nigerian Police has reacted to the minor setback which occurred during the protest organised by Concerned Nigerians group against the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration yesterday.
Recall that one of the conveners of the protest, Charlyboy born Charles Oputa had slumped during the protest.
In reaction, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Police, Mr Jimoh Moshood has accused the leader of a group of protesters of being overly dramatic adding that he slumped to gain attention.
Speaking on Channels TV, the Police PRO during the Sunrise Daily show stated that operatives of the Nigerian Police only used tear gas and water cannons as a last resort to disperse protesters in order to avoid breakdown of law and order.
Reacting after Charles Oputa collapsed twice during the protest organised against the Nigerian government, Mr Moshood stated that Charly Boy lied in his account of what happened at the protest ground.
He stated that contrary to Charly Boy’s report, the Police did not attempt to stop the protesters on the first day of their protest.
Mr. Moshood added: “His first account alleging some Police men to have told them that they shouldn’t come out to protest in the first instance is not correct. No Police officer would do that.
“Anything that has to do with politics or people protesting lies in the rim of the responsibility of the people as provided for in the Constitution. But like I said, we noticed the mix up in them of miscreants and hoodlums and that is why the police have to intervene to ensure that the protest doesn’t go beyond that.
“When the Camera comes in must have been when Police intervention had been done and they see smoke of tear gas. The smoke of tear gas can go up for quite some minutes without subsiding until after the normal time that the tear gas ought to subside.
“So any camera man can pick a picture of that and you can see over dramatisation by the leader of the protesters who was sitting on the chair because the camera was coming to his side he decided to fall down.”