The Nigeria Police Force has dismissed a viral video circulating on social media as false and misleading, rejecting claims that a uniformed officer was seen fraternising with armed bandits on motorcycles in Katsina State.
In a statement issued to journalists on Wednesday and signed by Force Public Relations Officer CSP Anietie Okokon Edem Iniedu, the police said the men shown in the footage were not bandits at all but recognised members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria and registered hunters working alongside security agencies in the Musawa and Matazu Local Government Areas of Katsina State. The video, the Force said, simply captured a routine moment between an officer and these community volunteers as they moved toward an operational area in support of efforts to combat criminality and improve public safety.
“The Nigeria Police Force categorically disclaims the false and misleading narrative accompanying a viral video circulating on social media which alleges that a uniformed police officer was seen interacting with armed bandits in Katsina State,” the statement read.
The Force insisted that any suggestion the officer was dealing with bandits was entirely false, malicious and designed to mislead the public, and it condemned what it called a deliberate distortion of facts capable of stoking public anxiety, eroding trust in security institutions and undermining ongoing operations against criminal gangs in the state.
Police urged Nigerians to disregard the narrative attached to the video and to rely solely on information from official police channels and authorised government sources. The Force also warned individuals and groups behind the creation and spread of false information that threatens public peace to desist immediately, cautioning that violators could face legal action.
It reaffirmed its commitment to working with legitimate community-based security stakeholders and other partners in the broader fight to protect lives, safeguard communities and combat crime across Nigeria.
