Police Clarify Video Allegedly Showing Personnel Interacting with Bandits in Katsina

The Nigeria Police Force has dismissed allegations surrounding a viral video purportedly showing a police officer interacting with bandits in Katsina State, describing the claims as false and misleading.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Okokon Edem Iniesu, said the video had been deliberately misrepresented by individuals seeking to damage the reputation of the Nigeria Police Force and undermine public confidence in security institutions.

According to the police, the video did not depict any form of collaboration between officers and criminal elements as widely claimed on social media. Rather, it captured a routine interaction between a police officer and members of local security groups who were heading to a designated operational area as part of efforts to strengthen security and combat criminal activities in the state.

The Force clarified that the individuals seen riding motorcycles in the footage were not bandits but recognised members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria and registered hunters who have been working alongside security agencies in Musawa and Matazu Local Government Areas of Katsina State.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the individuals featured in the video are not bandits. They are duly recognised members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria and registered hunters actively supporting ongoing security operations in collaboration with security agencies,” the statement said.

The police described reports suggesting otherwise as malicious and aimed at misleading members of the public.

The Force further condemned what it termed the deliberate distortion of facts and the circulation of misinformation capable of creating unnecessary fear, causing public anxiety and frustrating ongoing security operations across the country.

It urged Nigerians to disregard the claims attached to the video and rely only on information released through official channels of the Nigeria Police Force and other authorised government institutions.

The statement also warned individuals and groups involved in producing or disseminating false information that could threaten public peace and security to desist from such activities.

According to the Force, legal action may be taken against anyone found deliberately spreading misinformation capable of undermining national security efforts.

The police reiterated their commitment to maintaining law and order while continuing to work with legitimate community-based security groups in the fight against crime and insecurity across the country.