The death toll nationwide from the violence that erupted during the #EndSARS protests has now been revised to 73, with 22 of them policemen.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, who gave the latest statistics on fatalities in Abuja yesterday, also directed his officers and men to henceforth sturdily defend themselves if attacked by hoodlums again.
The protests against the now-dissolved police Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), metamorphosed into days of killings and looting across the country.
Unveiling the gory statistics during a virtual meeting with commissioners of police in the 36 states and FCT, the IG also disclosed that 71 public warehouses and 248 privately owned stores were looted in the course of the protests in 13 states and the FCT.
The states are Lagos, Edo, Delta, Oyo, Kano, Plateau, Osun, Ondo, Ogun, Rivers, Abia, Imo, and Ekiti states, as well as FCT.
The statistics were collated between October 11, 2020 when the #EndSARS protest assumed a national dimension and October, 27, 2020.
According to the IG, the affected states recorded major violence leading to attacks on critical national security infrastructure and other corporate and private properties as well as injuries or fatalities to civilians, the police and other security agents.
Adamu said 205 critical national security assets, corporate facilities and private property were attacked, burnt or vandalised.
“So far, a total of 10 firearms including eight AK 47 rifles stolen during the attack on police stations and a locally made pistol have been recovered from elements operating under the guise of the #EndSARS protesters”, he said.
In addition, 1,596 suspects were arrested in connection with the violence and widespread looting by hoodlums, who hijacked the protests across the country.
The breakdown shows that 520 suspects were arrested in Lagos, 367 in Plateau State, 210 in the FCT and 142 in Kwara State.
Similarly, 82 suspects were apprehended in Osun State, 60 in Adamawa State and 36 in Kano and Ogun states respectively.
He said 33 suspects were arrested in Edo State, 20 each in Kaduna and Akwa Ibom states, 15 in Abia and Delta states and 13 in Oyo and Ekiti states respectively.
Furthermore, 10 suspects were arrested in Rivers State and four in Ondo State.
“Out of these figures, not less than 1,117 have been charged to court across the country”, Adamu said.
