The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has described a viral video showing Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, addressing police officers as misleading, stating that the footage was edited to promote a false political impression.
The Command explained that the original video was from an incident in 2024 when police personnel were deployed to the Labour Party national headquarters in Utako, Abuja, to restore peace amid a leadership crisis within the party.
In a statement issued on Monday, FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, said the circulated video had been manipulated through the addition of campaign posters and captions to falsely portray the police as engaging in a political activity or endorsing a candidate.
“The attention of the FCT Police Command has been drawn to a video circulating on social media depicting some Nigeria Police personnel being addressed by Mr. Peter Obi.
“The Command also observed that the video has been altered with political campaign posters and captions to create a mischievous and false narrative suggesting a political engagement or endorsement from personnel of the Nigeria Police Force.
“This misrepresentation is entirely false and does not reflect the true facts of the incident,” she said.
The police stated that the encounter occurred in 2024 after officers responded to a distress call concerning a dispute over leadership at the Labour Party headquarters in Utako.
Adeh explained that the officers were sent to the location to maintain order, adding that Obi, who was present during the incident, briefly spoke with them while providing details about the internal disagreement within the party.
She maintained that the interaction was only related to the police intervention and had no political meaning.
“The interaction was purely incidental to the police response and had no political undertone whatsoever as otherwise mischievously suggested in the viral video,” she stated.
The police spokesperson also revealed that the FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, had directed a detailed investigation into how the edited video was created and circulated.
She reaffirmed that the FCT Police Command remains neutral and committed to performing its constitutional duties without favouring any political interest.
“The Command will not allow its operational activities or personnel to be misrepresented or exploited for partisan propaganda or any other vested interest,” she said.
The Command further warned members of the public against producing, modifying or sharing deceptive materials capable of misleading citizens or damaging trust in public institutions.
It also advised the public to confirm the authenticity of information through official sources before sharing content online.
