FCT police debunk altered viral video of Peter Obi, order investigation

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has dismissed as misleading an altered viral video showing Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, addressing police personnel.

It said the footage has been manipulated to create a false political narrative.

The Command said the video originated from an incident in 2024 when police officers were deployed to the Labour Party national headquarters in Utako, Abuja, to restore order during a leadership dispute within the party.

In a statement on Monday, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, said the video had been edited with political campaign posters and captions to falsely suggest that the Nigeria Police Force was involved in a political engagement or endorsement.

“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.

According to the police, the interaction took place in 2024 after the Command received a distress call over unrest arising from a leadership tussle at the Labour Party headquarters in Utako.

Adeh said police personnel were deployed to the scene to restore law and order, adding that Obi, who was present at the location, briefly addressed the officers while explaining the circumstances surrounding the internal party dispute.

She stressed that the interaction was incidental to the police operation and had no political undertone.

“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 spokesperson further disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command,  Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, had ordered a thorough investigation into the origin and circulation of the altered video.

She reiterated that the FCT Police Command remains an impartial and apolitical institution committed to carrying out its constitutional responsibilities without political bias.

“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 police urged members of the public to refrain from creating, altering or circulating misleading content capable of deceiving the public or undermining confidence in public institutions.

The Command also advised citizens to verify information through official channels before sharing content on social media.