The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has disowned a viral document circulating on social media claiming the immediate withdrawal of police escorts attached to certain Very Important Persons (VIPs), describing it as fake and misleading.
In a statement issued on Friday signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, the Force said the document, which purportedly emanated from the 50 Police Mobile Force (PMF) Squadron, Kubwa, Abuja, was a fabrication and should be disregarded by the public.
According to the police, the memo was allegedly signed by one CSP Suleiman Abdullahi, described as the Admin Officer of the squadron, but the Force clarified that no such officer serves in the unit.
“The Force wishes to categorically state that this document… is fake and should be disregarded by the public. There is no officer by the name CSP Suleiman Abdullahi serving in 50 PMF Squadron, nor is the position of Admin Officer in any PMF squadron held by an officer of the rank of Chief Superintendent of Police,” the statement said.
LEADERSHIP reports that the fake memo, carrying the letterhead of the Nigeria Police Force Mobile Force, 50 Squadron, Kubwa, Abuja, had earlier gone viral online, directing the immediate withdrawal of police officers attached to some VIPs. The document specifically listed 20 personalities purportedly affected by the directive, including former Vice Presidents Atiku Abubakar and Namadi Sambo; Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; former First Lady, Aisha Buhari; the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun; and the Olu of Warri, His Royal Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse III.
While dismissing the memo as false, the police confirmed that the Presidential Directive on the withdrawal of police personnel from VIP protection duties has commenced.
“For emphasis, the Nigeria Police Force confirms that the implementation of the Presidential Directive on the withdrawal of police officers from VIP duties has indeed commenced. However, this process is being carried out in a structured, phased, and professional manner to ensure that no security vacuum is created that could be exploited by criminal elements,” the statement added.
The Force assured Nigerians that adequate measures had been put in place to maintain law and order throughout the transition period and warned against the spread of unverified information.
“The public is urged to rely on official channels for accurate information and to refrain from sharing unverified documents that could undermine public confidence,” the statement said.
