Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on Monday, said no public institution in Nigeria has suffered more reputational damage from misinformation than the Nigeria Police Force.
Speaking at the opening of the 2025 Police Public Relations Officers’ Conference in Abuja, Egbetokun said recycled videos, edited images, and misleading online claims have repeatedly been used to cast the Police in a negative light.
He urged Public Relations Officers across commands to respond promptly and professionally whenever such false narratives emerge.
Egbetokun said, “There is a growing trend of misinformation circulating across digital platforms; old videos resurfaced as recent events, edited images presented as truth, and misleading narratives deliberately crafted to distort public perception. No public institution in Nigeria has suffered more reputational damage from misinformation than the Nigeria Police Force.
While we must acknowledge that it is neither strategic nor feasible for the Inspector-General or the Force Headquarters to respond to every distorted claim or sensational falsehood, silence is no more an option. The responsibility lies with you, the Public Relations Officers across Commands and Formations, to respond swiftly, accurately, and responsibly at the point where such misinformation emerges. You are the first line of defence in the information ecosystem.”
The IGP said communication has become as critical to policing as operational deployment, adding that public trust and transparency increasingly define the legitimacy of law enforcement institutions worldwide.
He warned that fragmented or delayed responses weaken institutional authority, stressing the need for uniform, factual messaging across the country.
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