The command also said a photograph circulating on social media and purportedly showing police officers tear-gassing the pensioners was generated using artificial intelligence.
The pensioners had gathered at the Lagos State Government Secretariat and the House of Assembly complex to demand outstanding pension adjustments and wage awards.
The protest reportedly attracted the attention of the state government, with the retirees expected to meet Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu later in the week to present their demands and seek a resolution to the outstanding issues.
However, in a statement issued on Tuesday, the command’s spokesperson, Abimbola Adebisi, described the reports of tear-gassing as false and misleading.
The command said about 500 members of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Lagos State Council, staged a peaceful protest at the Governor’s Office, Alausa, Ikeja, at about 8:30 a.m.
According to the statement, security personnel from the Rapid Response Squad, Lagos State Taskforce, Eko Strike Force and various divisional headquarters were deployed to maintain law and order and protect the protesters.
The command said the protesters were addressed by the Chief of Staff to the Lagos State Governor, Tayo Akinmade Ayinde, after which the NUP executives proceeded to an indoor meeting at the Governor’s Conference Hall.
It added that the meeting lasted about three hours and the protesters dispersed peacefully at about 4:30 p.m., with no adverse incident recorded.
The police said, “Not a single canister of tear gas was fired throughout the duration of the protest.”
The command further stated that the image circulating online and purportedly depicting the alleged tear-gassing of the retirees was AI-generated and did not represent what happened at the protest venue.
It urged members of the public to desist from sharing unverified information capable of misleading the public, inciting tension or undermining confidence in the police.
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Tijani Fatai, reiterated the command’s commitment to protecting citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly and expression.
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