Viral Police Videos Recirculated to Mislead Nigerians — NPF Debunks False Narratives

BY: Mustapha Lawal 

Claim:

Several videos circulating online portray Nigeria Police Force officers lamenting poor welfare conditions and alleging that the government is failing to support them against insecurity.

Verdict: 

Misleading. The videos being shared are old, taken out of context, and do not reflect the current state of affairs. The Nigeria Police Force confirmed investigations into the videos were previously concluded, and disciplinary actions were taken where necessary in its press release.

Full Text

On April 23, 2025, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) issued a press release across its official social media platforms, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook, expressing concern over the resurgence of old videos being recirculated online to allegedly misrepresent the police and create panic.

The videos, which have gone viral on WhatsApp, X, Facebook, and TikTok, show police officers lamenting operational challenges. One video features a Police Mobile Force officer complaining about welfare conditions in Yobe State. Another shows an officer from the Counter Terrorism Unit claiming that banditry is politically motivated and that officers are being sent into conflict zones without adequate support.

These claims have sparked widespread reactions on social media, with users interpreting the videos as recent and indicative of worsening conditions within the police force. 

Police Response

According to the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the videos are several years old and do not reflect the current reality within the NPF. The statement clarified that:

• The Yobe video surfaced years ago. At the time, the issues raised were addressed administratively and welfare conditions were improved.
  
  
• The Counter Terrorism Unit video, in which an officer accuses the government of negligence, was investigated thoroughly. The allegations were found to be false, and the officers involved were disciplined for raising unsubstantiated alarm.
  
  

“The recirculation of this video at this time is a deliberate attempt to bring the institution into disrepute and create panic in the minds of average Nigerians,” the statement reads.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, also warned members of the public to refrain from spreading misinformation, stating that such actions undermine public confidence in Nigeria’s security architecture. 

He reaffirmed that ongoing reforms and welfare improvements are being implemented to enhance the morale and operational efficiency of the force.

The Danger of Misinformation

Recycling old content to serve new agendas is a growing concern in Nigeria’s information ecosystem. By taking previously resolved grievances and presenting them as current, such tactics distort public perception and can stoke unnecessary fear, especially in a country grappling with multiple layers of insecurity.

Social media platforms, particularly, X (formerly Twitter), WhatsApp and Facebook, remain hotbeds for the spread of outdated or altered content, which in turn influences public opinion based on false premises. In times of political and social tension, such misinformation has the potential to undermine state institutions and erode citizens’ trust in governance.

Verification

FactCheckAfrica conducted an independent verification of the viral videos referenced in the Nigeria Police Force’s press release and found that both videos are not recent and were originally published years ago, aligning with the Police’s position that they are being recirculated to mislead the public.

A keyword search of the video showing a Police Mobile Force (PMF) officer in Yobe State led to a June 2021 blog post on Linda Ikeji’s Blog titled “Nigerian mobile police officer serving in Yobe State moved to tears as he complains bitterly about their poor working condition”. The original story, along with the embedded video, can be accessed here. A Google reverse image search of the same footage led to the identical video posted on Facebook on June 17, 2021, available here.

The second video, which features an officer from the Counter Terrorism Unit alleging that the government is sending officers to fight bandits without adequate weapons, was also traced back to three years ago. A search for keywords from the transcript of the video revealed the original source on Facebook, published here.

These findings confirm that both videos being recently shared on social media platforms are not current, but repurposed content being circulated out of context to spread panic and fuel distrust in national institutions as contained in the press release issued by the Nigeria Police Force. .

Conclusion

The viral videos alleging that Nigeria Police officers are still operating under dire conditions,  as seen in the recent wave of shared clips,  are not recent, and do not reflect the current state of the Police Force. The NPF has debunked these videos and emphasized that the matters have been previously addressed through administrative channels.

FactCheckAfrica urges citizens to verify content before sharing, especially during periods of heightened sensitivity. Public institutions must also continue to proactively communicate factual updates to preempt the spread of disinformation.