The attention of the Nigeria Police Force has been drawn to a story published by Premium Times Online media on 27th December, 2018 captioned “POLICE DISMISS 121 OFFICERS FOR ABSCONDING FROM DEPLOYMENT AGAINST BOKO HARAM (FULL LIST)” credited to one Samuel Ogundipe attaching a forged counterfeit list of 121 Police officers purportedly dismissed from the service of the Nigeria Police Force.
The Force is categorically stating that the story in its entirety is a fake news and not credible, and should be disregarded and discountenance by the public. No Police officer has been dismissed among the 2000 Police Mobile Force (PMF) personnel deployed to the North East.
Police officers and men found wanting in any way in the discharge of their statutory duties go through internal disciplinary procedures and if found guilty are either dismissed from the Force or given commensurate punishment(s). In this case, no officer was tried in orderly trial for any offence (disciplinary or otherwise) that will warrant dismissal from the Force and none was dismissed.
The writer of the story ignorantly and for mischievous reasons relied on forged counterfeit documents which did not emanate from the Force as the basis for his story. It is a crime under the penal and criminal code laws to tell falsehood with intent to mislead the public to acts that can cause disturbance of public peace and public disobedience.
For avoidance of doubt, the Inspector General of Police did not order the dismissal of 121 police officers as claimed by the Premium Times reporter (Samuel Ogundipe). The story is evidently the characteristics mindset and pattern of the writer to deride and castigate public institutions, such as the Nigeria Police Force without any fact whatsoever.
The pronouncement of dismissal of Police officers from the Force to the public is the responsibility of the Force Public Relations Officer and not that of the writer of the story.
It would be recalled that on the 26th December, 2018, the Force debunked a fake and misleading report from premium times online publication that 167 out the 2000 additional Police Officers recently deployed by the IGP to the North East absconded and the attached list of personnel and the police signal were discovered to be forged documents.
The Force therefore, implores the public to be aware that the story is ill-motive, orchestrated to puncture the morale of officers and men of the Force engaged in the fight against insurgency in the North East and other Police personnel carrying out core Police duties to protect lives and property of all Nigerians across the Country, and this should be condemned by all.
The Force will no longer tolerate or condone deliberate mischief and reckless publications aimed at defaming and derogating the integrity of the service from any individual(s) or group(s). The full weight of the law will be applied to protect the image of the service.
The Nigeria Police Force is assuring the Media of a continuous cooperation in guaranteeing public safety and security across the Country, however, it is important for Premium Times Online Publishers to consider National Security and public interest as paramount above sensational publications.
