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The Lagos State Police Command has denied reports that members of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Lagos State Council, were tear-gassed during their protest at the Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday.
The command also described a viral photograph of the incident as AI-generated.
Command spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi disclosed this in a statement.
According to the command, not a single canister of tear gas was fired throughout the duration of the protest.
The police explained that about 500 members of NUP, Lagos State Council, led by Chairman, Comrade Michael Omishade and Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Chairperson, Comrade Agnes Funmi Sesse, staged a peaceful protest at the Governor’s Office, Alausa, Ikeja at about 08:30am on Monday.
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The statement said personnel from the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Lagos State Taskforce, Eko Strike Force, and divisional headquarters were deployed to maintain order in an operation coordinated by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Department of Operations.
“The protesters were addressed by the Chief of Staff to the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Tayo Akinmade Ayinde, after which the executives of the NUP proceeded to an indoor meeting at the Governor’s Conference Hall. The meeting lasted approximately three hours,” the statement reads.
The command said the protesters dispersed peacefully at about 04:30pm with “the area remaining calm and no adverse incident recorded.”
On the viral image, police said, “The photograph in circulation is AI-generated and does not represent what transpired at the protest venue.”
Commissioner of Police, CP Tijani Fatai, urged the public to “refrain from creating, sharing, or amplifying unverified information capable of misleading the public, inciting unnecessary tension, or undermining public confidence.”
He reiterated the command’s commitment to protecting the right to peaceful assembly while ensuring activities remain “peaceful, orderly, and within the ambit of the law.”
