A video surfaced online Saturday, October 24, 2020, where a senior Nigeria Airforce officer warned a group of police officers not to shoot at unarmed protesters.
An unconfirmed report stated that the incidence happened in Calabar, South-South Nigeria where security operatives were deployed to forestall the breakdown of law and order amid #EndSars protest which was hijacked by hoodlums across Nigeria.
The police team was led by a senior officer, who had ordered his men to shoot at protesters, according to the senior soldier who also led his men to support the police in maintaining peace in the state.
The soldier who expressed his anger at the manner the police were shooting at the civilians said, “As a professional police officer, you dare not shoot at unarmed civilians.”
As the police officer was adamant, the soldier directed one of his men to record their conversation, “Some should record this so that when I’m going to charge you, I’d even charge to your force headquarters.
“I told you to stop shooting but your men continue to fire at protesters. Warn your people I don’t want a single shot,” the senior airforce officer said.
The video has generating diverse reactions on Twitter. Some said the use of force depends on who leads an operative while others stated that airforce is more trained in civil relations than other forces in Nigeria.
@Sirpimps_Phorex, “From above to take actions, my brothers and sisters please find your way oh, don’t let a single clip of video make you think one force is better than the other, both the army, navy and air force undergo same training, it all depends on whosoever wants to intimidate others”
Another Twitter user Adesina Hamed said, “There’s a difference between, police, air Force, army, navy. The air Force and naval officers are highly intelligent, that’s why you see it’s not easy to get into those forces if your cognitive development is low. On like police and army, very easy to get in. The prove is dis video.”
