• IGP Tunji Disu

The Nigeria Police Force has dismissed as false and misleading claims circulating on social media that a viral video from Katsina State showed a police officer interacting with armed bandits.

The Force clarified that the individuals seen in the footage are recognised members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) and registered hunters working alongside security agencies in ongoing operations across Musawa and Matazu Local Government Areas of the state.

In a statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, the Police explained that the video captured a routine interaction between a police officer and community security volunteers on their way to a designated operational area.

The Force stressed that any attempt to portray the individuals as bandits is entirely false and intended to mislead the public.

According to the statement, the volunteers featured in the video are actively supporting security operations aimed at combating criminality and improving public safety in the affected communities.

The Nigeria Police Force also 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 hampering ongoing security operations.