The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has refuted allegations that a viral video recorded in Katsina State depicted a police officer fraternising with bandits, clarifying that the individuals seen in the footage were security volunteers assisting in anti-crime operations.
In a statement released on Wednesday through the Force’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Okokon Edem Iniedu, said the video had been widely circulated on social media with misleading claims suggesting collaboration between police personnel and armed criminals.
The police maintained that “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.”
According to the statement, the footage merely 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.”
The Force further stressed that “any claim suggesting otherwise is entirely false, malicious, and intended to mislead the public.”
Condemning what it described as the deliberate misrepresentation of the video, the NPF warned that the spread of false information could generate unnecessary public concern, undermine trust in security institutions, and negatively affect ongoing security efforts.
The police urged members of the public to disregard the claims attached to the video and to rely on information disseminated through official police channels and other authorised government sources.
The statement also cautioned that individuals or groups responsible for creating or circulating false information capable of threatening public peace and security could be subjected to legal action.