Nigeria Police debunks viral claim on senior officer supplying arms to bandits

The Nigeria Police Force has refuted a viral claim circulating on X (formerly Twitter) alleging that a Deputy Commissioner of Police in Kaduna State was arrested for supplying firearms to bandits and kidnappers.

The allegation was made by Adamu Garba Zango, a lecturer at Baze University, who shared an image purportedly supporting his claims.

In a statement signed by Olumuyiwa Adejobi, Force Public Relations Officer, the Police clarified that the image in question is an old photograph from 2019 and does not depict any serving officer of the Nigeria Police Force.[admnager ad_id="desktop_1" placement="desktop" lazy="false"]

According to the statement, investigations revealed that the man in the photograph is Kingsley Udoyen, a civilian who was arrested by the Akwa Ibom State Police Command on January 2, 2019. Udoyen had been impersonating an Assistant Commissioner of Police to defraud and intimidate unsuspecting individuals.

“At the time of his arrest, police recovered an English pistol (without ammunition) and portraits of various police ranks from his residence”, the statement said.

The Police emphasized that there is no connection between the Kaduna State Police Command and the baseless allegations spread by Zango.

The statement noted that the spread of false information, not only damages the reputation of the Police but also undermines public trust and safety.

The Force urged the public to verify information from credible sources before sharing and reminded citizens of the legal consequences of spreading unverified claims. It reiterated its commitment to transparency, accountability, and the pursuit of justice.

The NPF encouraged the public to follow its official social media channels for accurate information. These include X (formerly Twitter) at @PoliceNG, Instagram at @nigeriapoliceforce, Facebook at @ngpolice, YouTube at @PoliceNG, and TikTok at @ngpolice.

The statement warned that the dissemination of false claims is a violation of defamation and cybercrime laws, adding that legal action may be taken against individuals or entities involved.