The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has dismissed as false and misleading claims circulating on social media that a viral video from Katsina State showed a police officer fraternizing with armed bandits.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Force clarified that the individuals seen in the video are not bandits but duly recognized members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) and registered hunters who work alongside security agencies in ongoing operations across Musawa and Matazu Local Government Areas of Katsina State.
According to the Police, the footage captured a routine interaction between a police officer and the community security volunteers as they moved to a designated operational area to support efforts aimed at combating criminal activities and enhancing public safety.
The Force described attempts to portray the volunteers as bandits as “false, malicious, and deliberately misleading,” warning that such misinformation has the potential to create unnecessary public anxiety, erode confidence in security institutions, and undermine ongoing security operations.
The Police further condemned the deliberate distortion of facts and urged members of the public to disregard the misleading narrative attached to the video.
The statement advised citizens to rely only on information disseminated through official channels of the Nigeria Police Force and other authorized government agencies.
The NPF also warned individuals and groups involved in the creation and spread of false information capable of threatening public peace and security to desist, noting that legal action may be taken against offenders.
Reaffirming its commitment to safeguarding lives and property, the Force stressed that it will continue to collaborate with legitimate community-based security stakeholders and relevant partners in the collective fight against crime across the country.
The statement was signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Okokon Edem Iniedu, on behalf of the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
