Baze Varsity Lecturer Risks Prosecution Over Alleged Defamation Of Police Force

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has responded to a false claim circulating on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), made by Adamu Garba Zango, a lecturer at Baze University in Abuja. Zango alleged that a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in Kaduna State had been arrested for supplying arms to bandits. The police clarified that Zango’s post, which featured a 2019 image, was misleading and falsely associated the image with the alleged DCP.

The NPF, in a statement issued by its Public Relations Officer (FPRO), ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, refuted the claim, stating that the individual in the photograph was not a serving police officer. The person depicted in the image was identified as Kingsley Udoyen, a civilian arrested in 2019 by the Akwa Ibom State Police Command for impersonating a police officer. Udoyen was caught using a fake police rank to defraud and intimidate the public, and police recovered items including a pistol and police rank portraits from his residence.

The police emphasized that there was no connection between the Kaduna Police Command and the false allegations spread by Zango. ACP Adejobi condemned the dissemination of such false information, highlighting its potential harm to the image of the police force and public trust.

Zango’s actions were deemed a violation of defamation and cybercrime laws, with the NPF warning that it may take legal action against him. The police also urged the public to verify information from credible sources before sharing.