The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has dismissed as false and misleading claims circulating on social media that a viral video showed a police officer interacting 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 men seen in the video are not bandits but duly recognised members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) and registered hunters working with security agencies.
According to the statement, the volunteers are actively supporting ongoing security operations in Musawa and Matazu Local Government Areas of Katsina State.
The police explained that the video captured a routine interaction between a police officer and the security volunteers as they were heading to a designated operational area to assist in efforts aimed at combating criminality and improving public safety.
It described allegations that the officer was fraternising with bandits as “entirely false, malicious, and intended to mislead the public.”
The Force condemned what it described as the deliberate distortion of facts and the spread of misinformation capable of creating public anxiety, eroding confidence in security institutions, and undermining ongoing security operations.
It urged members of the public to disregard the claims attached to the viral video and rely only on information released through official channels of the Nigeria Police Force and other authorised government sources.
The police also warned individuals and groups involved in creating or disseminating false information capable of threatening public peace and security to desist, stressing that appropriate legal action could be taken against offenders.
The statement reaffirmed the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to collaborating with legitimate community-based security stakeholders and other relevant partners to protect lives, safeguard communities, and combat crime across the country.
