Alhassan Aminu, the commissioner of Police in Cross River State, has denied that his men used teargas on widows and other women street sweepers in Calabar on Wednesday, October 20, 2021.
There has been loud public outcry by groups, the media, and members of the public against the alleged brutalisation of the Cross River women street sweepers who were protesting non-payment of their monthly stipend of N5000 and N7500 for the past six months when arrays of reports said policemen had brutalised and tear-gassed them.
The commissioner fielded questions from journalists at the police headquarters Calabar Friday when he paraded 30 suspected criminals before the press.
Aminu said such reports about tear-gassing of widows were fake, adding that the canisters of the teargas should be examined very carefully, and that it would be seen that his command does not have such.
He said perhaps some videos where women were tear-gassed were uploaded on social media by some mischievous persons so that his command can be given a bad name.
“I can tell you that nobody was tear-gassed. It is fake news.
“The tear-gassing was not from my command. Let them come up with evidence.
“Let me disclose that teargas canisters usually have labels to depict their origins. Such are not from my command.”
Aminu called on individuals, agencies, establishments, and agitators of all kinds to always play by the rule while expressing their plight in order not to breach the laws of constitutional rights of others or cause panic in the land.
“Cross Riverians are urged to shun all forms of protests which are capable of being hijacked by people with a sinister agenda.”
