Speaking on June 26, Murkomen said the officers showed remarkable restraint even as some police stations were attacked by what he termed as “thugs” who were allegedly targeting firearms and uniforms.
“Thank you for a job well done despite extreme provocation,” said Murkomen.
“Since there is no one who is going to defend our police officers, I want to speak authoritatively here and say that I will defend them.”
He claimed that the attackers had a clear mission of seizing weapons and impersonating law enforcement officers, noting that some individuals were now bragging online while dressed in police gear.
“I can see some of these boys on TikTok wearing police uniforms and calling themselves sergeants, saying they have taken over power. Make no mistake, we will come for you — and we will come hard,” he warned.
The Interior CS dismissed public criticism and allegations of police brutality, insisting that law enforcers acted within the law to protect national stability.
“It doesn’t matter the noisemakers. It doesn’t matter those who are calling us names,” he said.
“Even if you need a lawyer, I have your back, the ministry has your back, and the government has your back.”
Murkomen went as far as to describe the protests as an attempted coup and said the police deserved national support, not condemnation.
“There is no police officer who committed any excess yesterday. Police officers foiled a coup, and they deserve our defence,” he declared.
The June 25 demonstrations, largely led by Gen Z protesters, were held to mark one year since deadly anti-tax protests rocked the country in 2024.
While many protests remained peaceful, some areas reported incidents of looting, vandalism, and confrontations with security forces.
Murkomen’s remarks come amid growing public scrutiny of the police response, with human rights groups and some political leaders calling for investigations into alleged use of excessive force.
