The Bauchi State Police Command has refuted what it described as purported video circulating online in some sections of the media where security operatives were accused of gunning down a protester in Azare, the headquarters of Katagum local government area.
Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Auwal Musa Mohammed, through a statement by the Command’s spokesman, SP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, on Tuesday, distanced the police from the purported video, while warning purveyors to stay clear of misinformation.
“The attention of the Bauchi State Police Command has been drawn to a purported video circulating online and in some sections of the media that claims security operatives gunned down a protester in Azare on Monday, August 5, 2024.
“The Command wishes to emphatically debunk this video and the accompanying news publications. These claims are untrue and misleading. No such inhumane act incident was recorded by the command at the mentioned location or any other part of the state,” the statement read.
SP Wakil declared that the video was fabricated and that the police were not involved in any of such incident.
He explained that prior to the nationwide protests, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun had directed all officers to appear in camouflage uniforms with a red band on the left-hand side.
The statement said, “In light of this, the video in circulation does not portray or indict any policeman as published by some sections of social media”.
The statement added that the Command has constituted a team of investigators comprising seasoned detectives with the task to aggregate all allegations, suspicions and insinuations from various sources and undertake a professional, diligent and timely investigation to establish evidence.
“The investigation is also to clear all doubts and ensure that justice is manifestly served through a meticulous process that will deploy all requisite protocols (which may include exhumation of the death body if any), as well as technical and scientific tools that are vital to the detailed investigation of allegations of this nature,” the statement said.
CP Mohammed therefore called on media practitioners not to relent in their firm commitment and dedication to ensure global best practice of ethical investigative journalism, aimed at seeking the truth and establishing national cohesion and patriotism.
“Ordinarily, the command would have overlooked this issue, but it has become expedient to set the record, as some members of the public are being misled by some section of the media,” Wakil said.
Calling on the public to disregard the video, the SP Wakil expressed the commitment of the Command to maintaining high standards of professionalism, accountability, and justice, while urging the media to always verify information through official channels.
