The Nigeria Police Force says a viral video showing an officer interacting with armed men in Katsina has been misrepresented, insisting the men were recognised vigilantes and local hunters, not bandits.
The Nigeria Police Force has rejected claims that one of its officers was seen fraternising with bandits in a viral video recorded in Katsina State, describing the allegation as false and misleading.
In a clarification issued after the footage circulated online, the Force said the officer in the video was interacting with members of a local security outfit made up of vigilantes and hunters, not criminal elements. The clarification centres on a video involving ASP Newton Isokpehi, which had triggered public concern after it was shared with claims that the officer had allowed armed bandits to move freely through a checkpoint.
According to the police, the men seen in the video were part of recognised local support structures often engaged in community security operations in parts of northern Nigeria. The Force said the narrative that the officer was “interacting with bandits” was intended to mislead the public and distort the circumstances captured in the clip.
The response from the police comes at a time when public scrutiny of security operations remains high, particularly in states battling banditry and rural violence. In that context, the video quickly drew attention because it appeared to show a police officer in a relaxed exchange with armed men at a checkpoint. The Force, however, maintains that the footage does not support that conclusion.
By the police account, the matter is a case of misidentification rather than misconduct. The Force has not indicated any disciplinary action against the officer and has instead focused its response on correcting what it described as a false public impression created by the viral clip.
For now, the official position of the Nigeria Police Force is that the men in the video were vigilantes and hunters, and that the claims linking them to banditry are unfounded.