The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has dismissed as false and misleading claims circulating on social media that a viral video showed a police officer fraternizing with armed bandits in Katsina State.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Okokon Edem Iniedu, the police clarified that the armed individuals seen in the video are not bandits but duly recognized members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) and registered hunters assisting security agencies in ongoing operations.
According to the statement, the video captured a routine interaction between a police officer and the community security volunteers as they moved to a designated operational area in Musawa and Matazu Local Government Areas of Katsina State to support efforts aimed at tackling criminality and enhancing public safety.
The Force described allegations linking the volunteers to banditry as “entirely false, malicious, and intended to mislead the public.”
The Police condemned what it described as the deliberate distortion of facts and the spread of misinformation capable of creating public anxiety, undermining confidence in security institutions, and frustrating ongoing security operations.
The Force urged Nigerians to disregard the misleading claims attached to the viral video and rely only on information released through official channels of the Nigeria Police Force and other authorized government sources.
It also warned individuals and groups involved in creating or disseminating false information capable of threatening public peace and security to desist, stressing that legal action may be taken against offenders.
Reaffirming its commitment to public safety, the Nigeria Police Force said it would continue working closely with legitimate community-based security stakeholders and other relevant partners to protect lives, safeguard communities, and combat crime across the country.
