The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has dismissed a claim circulating on social media that a Deputy Commissioner of Police in Kaduna State was arrested for supplying firearms to bandits and kidnappers.
A lecturer at Baze University named Adamu Garba Zango alleged that a Deputy Commissioner of Police with the Kaduna State Police Command was detained for helping bandits and kidnappers obtain firearms.
However, police spokesperson, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, in a statement, said that the individual in the circulated image is not a serving officer and that the image has been in internet archives since 2019.
The individual in question is Kingsley Udoyen, a civilian who was detained by the Akwa Ibom State Police Command on January 2, 2019, for posing as an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Adejobi noted.
Adejobi disclosed that Udoyen, at the time of his arrest, had been using fake police credentials to defraud and intimidate the public.
He added that items recovered from Udoyen’s residence included an unlicensed English pistol, portraits of various police ranks, and other incriminating materials.
The police spokesperson noted that there is no connection between the Kaduna State Police Command and the false allegations propagated by Zango.
“It is pertinent to state that the individual depicted in the shared photograph is not a serving member of the Nigeria Police Force,” Adejobi shared on X.
“Investigations have revealed that the man in the image is one Kingsley Udoyen, a civilian who was arrested by the Akwa Ibom State Police Command on January 2nd, 2019 for impersonating an Assistant Commissioner of Police.
“At the time of his arrest, Udoyen was found to have been using a fake police rank to defraud and intimidate unsuspecting members of the public. Items recovered from his residence included an English pistol without ammunition and portraits of various police ranks.
“It is also important to point out that there is no connection between the Kaduna State Police Command and the false allegations propagated by Mr. Zango.”
The police condemned the spread of false information, “which not only tarnishes the image of the Force but also undermines public trust and safety.
“Spreading unverified claims is a violation of laws concerning defamation and cybercrime, and the Police may pursue appropriate legal action against individuals or entities involved in disseminating such falsehoods.”
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