The Nigeria Police Force has reacted to a “false and misleading claim” circulating on X, alleging that a Deputy Commissioner of Police serving at the Kaduna State Police Command was arrested for supplying firearms to bandits and kidnappers.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, in a statement issued late on Friday, stated that the individual depicted in the shared photograph is not a serving member of the Nigeria Police Force.
TheFactDaily gathers that the picture had been recirculated on Thursday by one Adamu Garba Zango, a lecturer at Baze University, who made the allegations. He posted the picture with the words: Kaduna state Deputy Commissioner of Police Command, went to give firearms to bandits and kidnappers, unfortunately, he was arrested with them. Wonder Never End”.
Adejobi, in his statement said the picture being circulate had been in the internet archives since 2019, adding that the man in the picture is one Kingsley Udoyen, a civilian who was arrested by the Akwa Ibom State Police Command on January 2nd, 2019 for impersonating an Assistant Commissioner of Police.
“At the time of his arrest, Udoyen was found to have been using a fake police rank to defraud and intimidate unsuspecting members of the public. Items recovered from his residence included an English pistol without ammunition and portraits of various police ranks’, he said.
The FPRO stated emphatically too that there is no connection between the Kaduna State Police Command and the false allegations propagated by Mr. Zango. He condemned the spread of false information which not only tarnishes the image of the Force but also undermines public trust and safety.
He urged Members of the public to verify information from credible sources before sharing, stressing that the Nigeria Police Force remains committed to transparency, accountability, and the pursuit of justice.
“Spreading unverified claims is a violation of laws concerning defamation and cybercrime, and the Police may pursue appropriate legal action against individuals or entities involved in disseminating such falsehoods”, he warned.
He further encouraged the public to follow the official channels of the Nigeria Police Force on the following social media platforms:
X (formerly Twitter):@PoliceNG
Instagram:@nigeriapoliceforce
Facebook:@ngpolice
Youtube:@PoliceNG
Tiktok:@ngpolice
