The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has dismissed claims that a viral video from Katsina State showed a police officer interacting with bandits, saying the people in the footage were security volunteers helping anti-crime operations.
In a statement issued on Wednesday through the Force’s X account, Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Okokon Edem Iniedu, said the video had been widely shared on social media with claims that police officers were working with armed criminals. He said the footage had been deliberately misrepresented.
According to the police, “the individuals featured in the video are not bandits. They are duly recognised members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) and registered hunters who are actively supporting ongoing security operations in collaboration with security agencies in Musawa and Matazu Local Government Areas of Katsina State.”
The Force said the video showed “a routine interaction between a police officer and these security volunteers as they proceeded to a designated operational area in support of efforts to combat criminality and enhance public safety,” adding that “any claim suggesting otherwise is entirely false, malicious, and intended to mislead the public.”
The police condemned what it described as a distortion of the facts and warned that spreading false information could create public anxiety, weaken confidence in security agencies, and affect ongoing operations.
It urged Nigerians to ignore the claims attached to the video and rely on information from official police channels and other authorised government sources. The Force also warned that anyone involved in creating or spreading false information capable of threatening public peace and security could face legal action.
