Police authorities have defended the use of teargas on people who gathered for the #FreeNnamdiKanu protest around a major route in Abuja on Monday, arguing that the action was to prevent damage to critical infrastructure in the heart of the nation’s capital.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, said the move was in line with a court order which restricted the protesters from converging around Aso Rock Villa, National Assembly, Force Headquarters, Court of Appeal, Eagle Square and Shehu Shagari Way.
“You see, FCT is very big. You can protest anywhere and your voices will still be heard, it will still be reported by the press,” he told the show host Seun Okinbaloye from Channels Television’s Abuja Studio.
“These are critical infrastuture that needs to be protected and don’t forget that these are places that protests have happened in the past and things were destroyed. We have records of that. So, it is our duty as an agency to protect lives and properties; to ensure law and order.
“So, whatever step – all lawful steps – we need to take to achieve that mandate is what we’ll take and that was what we did.”