The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has refuted a misleading claim circulated on X (formerly Twitter) by Adamu Garba Zango, a lecturer at Baze University.
In a statement, Force Public Relations Officer Force Headquarters, Abuja ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said Mr. Zango alleged that a Deputy Commissioner of Police in Kaduna State was arrested for supplying firearms to bandits and kidnappers, sharing a 2019 image to support the baseless claim.
The NPF clarified that the individual in the image is not a serving police officer. The person depicted, Kingsley Udoyen, was arrested by the Akwa Ibom State Police Command on January 2, 2019, for impersonating an Assistant Commissioner of Police. Udoyen had used a fake police rank to defraud and intimidate the public, with items recovered from his residence including an English pistol (without ammunition) and portraits of police ranks.
The Force emphasized that there is no connection between the Kaduna State Police Command and the allegations made by Mr. Zango. It condemned the spread of false information, which undermines public trust and tarnishes the Force’s image.
The NPF urged citizens to verify information through credible sources before sharing, warning that spreading unverified claims could lead to legal actions under defamation and cybercrime laws.
