The Nigerian Police, on Saturday invalidated the trending video footage of the arrest, detention and dehumanisation of a corps member in Kaura Namoda area of Zamfara State.
A gory picture of a brutalised and dehumanized young man, identified as Michael Uwakwe and alleged to be a corps member serving in Kaura Namoda, in Zamfara State, went viral online with sensational narratives.
Reacting to the dehumanising viral footage, the Force Spokesperson, ACP Olamuyiwa Adejobi, in a statement said the picture currently circulating alongside the news on social media has no connection to the actual individuals or events involved in the referred case.
Adejobi, explained that the incident in question occurred in 2015 and has been grossly misrepresented.
He cautioned, in strongest terms, those who are bent on generating and circulating falsehood to specifically discredit the government, Nigerian institutions, cause discomfort and create fears in the mind of the general public to desist as such act is not only unpatriotic, but also criminal and punishable under the law.
According to him, the Nigeria Police Force wished to address and clarify the misinformation circulating on social media regarding an alleged incident involving a Corps member in Kaura Namoda, Zamfara State.
Explaining the circumstances that led to the incident, Adejobi said: “The incident in question occurred in 2015 and has been grossly misrepresented. A female student had written something that the Corps member deemed insulting during a test, and in response, the corps member decided to punish her by asking the student to crawl on her knees, which caused her some injuries. This punishment did not sit well with the student’s family, prompting them to escalate the matter to the Police. The Area Commander in charge of the area at the time exercised his discretion and detained the corps member temporarily. The Commissioner of Police intervened thereafter and directed the corps member’s release. The matter has since been amicably settled, and there was no further escalation beyond this point.
“Additionally, the picture currently circulating alongside the news on social media has no connection to the actual individuals or events involved in the referred case. It is an unrelated image being used to sensationalize and mislead the public”.
Adejobi, therefore urged members of the public, policing stakeholders, particularly the NYSC leadership, to discountenance the falsehood being perpetrated in the media space as they bear no real connection to the actual event.
Also, the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, conferred on the Nigeria Police Force the award of service compliant to the NIPR Act.
The award of service compliant, which was conferred on her at the NIPR Diamond Jubilee celebration dinner in Abuja, also recognized the Nigeria Police Force as the foremost agency with regards to strict compliance with the NIPR Act in areas of appointment of public relations officers across zonal and state commands of the federation, and its zeal towards training and re-training of its public relations personnel under the leadership of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
A statement by Force Spokesperson noted that while congratulating and appreciating the Institute on this milestone celebration, the IGP reiterated the commitment of the Force to adhere strictly to the NIPR Act in appointment of public relations officers for the police towards effective communication management and public relation practice.
Ikechukwu Aleke in Abuja
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