Police Dismiss Viral Katsina Video, Say Armed Men Are Vigilantes, Hunters

Police Dismiss Viral Katsina Video, Say Armed Men Are Vigilantes, Hunters

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has categorically dismissed claims circulating on social media that a viral video from Katsina State showed a police officer fraternising with armed bandits, insisting that the individuals featured are recognised members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) and registered hunters supporting security operations in the state. The controversy erupted after a video showing a long convoy of motorcycle riders passing stationary vehicles while a police officer appeared to wave at them went viral on social media. Background voices captured in the footage further fuelled speculation, with one person referring to the riders as “barayin daji”, a Hausa term commonly used to describe bandits.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, categorically refuted the narrative accompanying the video, describing it as false, misleading, and malicious. The police explained that the footage captured a routine interaction between a police officer and community-based security volunteers as they proceeded to a designated operational area in Musawa and Matazu Local Government Areas of Katsina State. “For the avoidance of doubt, the individuals featured in the video are not bandits. They are duly recognised members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) and registered hunters who are actively supporting ongoing security operations in collaboration with security agencies in Musawa and Matazu Local Government Areas of Katsina State,” the statement read in part. The police stressed that any claim suggesting the officer was interacting with bandits is entirely false and intended to mislead the public. The Force condemned what it described as the deliberate distortion of facts and the circulation of misinformation capable of causing public anxiety, undermining confidence in security institutions, and frustrating ongoing security operations.

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An independent review of the footage shows dozens of motorcycles travelling in a convoy along a rural road. A man wearing police camouflaged uniform is seen standing beside another security operative dressed in a black top and red cap as the convoy passes. The video does not clearly establish the identity of the riders. While some appear to be carrying long objects believed to be firearms, the footage is not clear enough to determine with certainty their specific type. Notably, there is no visible confrontation between the convoy and the security personnel, and the vehicles parked by the roadside, with passengers inside, were left untouched. Security experts noted that community-based security partnerships have increasingly become part of Nigeria’s counter-banditry strategy, particularly in North West states where local hunters, vigilante groups, and other volunteer forces provide intelligence and operational support to conventional security agencies.

The police urged members of the public to disregard the misleading claims attached to the video and rely only on information disseminated through official channels of the Nigeria Police Force and other authorised government sources. The Force warned individuals and groups engaged in the creation, publication, or dissemination of false information capable of prejudicing public peace and security to desist immediately, noting that appropriate legal action may be taken against violators. “The Force warns individuals and groups engaged in the creation, publication, or dissemination of false information capable of prejudicing public peace and security to desist immediately, as appropriate legal action may be taken against violators,” the statement added. Reaffirming its commitment to public safety, the Nigeria Police Force said it would continue collaborating with legitimate community-based security stakeholders and other relevant partners in the collective effort to protect lives, safeguard communities, and combat crime across the country. “The Nigeria Police Force remains committed to working with legitimate community-based security stakeholders and other relevant partners in the collective effort to protect lives, safeguard communities, and combat crime across the country,” the statement concluded.