Eric Patrick
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, has cautioned members of the public to be wary of the deliberate spread of falsehood to create tension amongst citizens and ridicule the Police institution.
The IGP further warned mischief makers to desist from such act, as it undermines public confidence in the national security institutions.
The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, in a statement on Tuesday, said that the Nigeria Police Force is deeply concerned about the current trend of recirculating old videos on social media to malign the Nigeria Police Force and undermine National Security.
According to Adejobi, the Nigeria Police had at various times cautioned against reposting old videos that portrayed the Nigeria Police Force in bad light.
Adejobi also disclosed that the police are currently working hard to build the trust and confidence of the people, but the trend of reposting old videos portraying the present police force negatively and spreading falsehoods against them has serious implications for internal security.
The statement partly read, ”The extant cases at hand are; a video of a Police Mobile Force (PMF) officer lamenting the alleged deplorable conditions faced by officers deployed to Yobe State on operational duty.
“The Force wishes to state unequivocally that this video originally surfaced several years back. The issues raised in the video were not taken lightly.
“Administrative steps were taken and the concerns addressed. The recirculation of this video at this time is a deliberate attempt to bring the institution into disrepute and create panic in the minds of average Nigerians.
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”Secondly, an old resurfaced video in which an officer attached to the Counter Terrorism Unit of the Force allegedly claimed that banditry is politically motivated and the government is playing with their lives, sending them to the war front without ammunition and preventing the Counter Force from effectively combating bandits in these disturbed areas.
“The matter was then investigated, and those allegations were found to be untrue. Upon conclusion of investigation, disciplinary actions were meted against the erring officers for raising false alarm.
“The NPF categorically refutes and distances itself from the content of this video as it does not conform with the realities in the present Police Force.
“It is pertinent to state that, the Police leadership are taking steps aimed towards improving the welfare of officers and operational efficiency of the Nigeria Police Force, contrary to the false narrative contained in the old videos being recirculated by mischief makers
“The matter was then investigated, and those allegations were found to be untrue. Upon conclusion of the investigation, disciplinary actions were meted against the erring officers for raising a false alarm.”
The Inspector General of Police has reassured the public of the Nigeria Police Force’s strong and unwavering commitment to proactively tackling all forms of crime and criminal activities nationwide.
He also called on citizens to avoid spreading false information that could harm the reputation and integrity of the police force.