In June 2023, the Acting Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, announced plans to withdraw some police officers attached to certain VIPs in Nigeria due to reported abuse of power. Recently, a document with a headline “Police Wireless Message” dated 12th July 2023, allegedly from “Mopol 45 Fhq Abuja,” began circulating on Facebook. The document listed names of top politicians in the country and claimed that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) had withdrawn police aides from these individuals.
However, the Explainer Fact checkers have verified the document and found it to be fake. The official Twitter handle of the Nigerian Police Force released a statement on 17th July 2023, signed by the Public Relations Officer, Abuja CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, debunking the signal. The statement clarified that the signal did not originate from the NPF or any of its formations.
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The Police pointed out several irregularities that exposed the document’s falsity. Firstly, the signal bore the signature of a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), whereas such signals are typically signed by an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) who heads the relevant formations. This deviation from the standard raised suspicion about the document’s authenticity.
In response to the situation, the Acting Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun has ordered a thorough investigation to determine the source of the fake signal and ensure appropriate action is taken against those responsible for its creation and dissemination. In conclusion, the document containing a list of politicians with police aides allegedly to be withdrawn has been verified and confirmed to be false and misleading.