Get Guardian on Google…Says false reports will undermine election credibility
Ahead of the 2027 general elections , Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, has warned that fake news, fabricated videos has the potential to create violence and undermine the credibility of the 2027 general elections therefore should be discouraged.
The IGP stated this on Wednesday during the annual conference and awards of the Crime Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CCAN), held in Abuja.
The IGP called on journalists, particularly crime reporters, to verify information before publication and avoid amplifying unconfirmed security reports capable of triggering panic, violence and public distrust.
His words: “Fake news does not merely accompany insecurity; it can manufacture it,” he said.
Disu noted that fear of crime could persist even when official statistics showed a decline in serious offences, adding that it could keep residents indoors, force traders to close early and weaken public trust in security institutions.
He expressed concern that misinformation could be particularly dangerous during the 2027 general elections, warning that false reports could discourage voter participation, create doubts about the electoral process and prepare the ground for rejecting election results before votes were counted.
He advised crime correspondents to report security incidents only after confirmation, distinguish claims from verified facts and avoid publishing videos whose origins could not be established.
“Separate what a source claims from what has been verified. Refuse to amplify a video that cannot be traced to a credible origin. And give our officers the space to respond before a story is framed in a way that makes response impossible,” he said.
Disu stressed that the guidelines were not intended to restrict press freedom but to promote responsible journalism, particularly during sensitive periods in the country’s political development.
He disclosed that the Nigeria Police Force, through its National Cybercrime Centre, was monitoring online platforms for false and inciting content, while cybercrime operations had also been extended to criminal investigation departments nationwide.
The IGP said the police were using digital forensic investigations to identify and arrest individuals responsible for fabricated notices and videos.
He, however, emphasised that such powers would be exercised sparingly and only where public safety was genuinely threatened, insisting that they were not intended to silence criticism or dissent.
He also disclosed plans to establish a verification channel with CCAN to enable accredited reporters to obtain timely and reliable information from the police during the 2027 election period.
On the growing threat of deepfakes, Disu explained that artificial intelligence could be used to create or manipulate videos, audio recordings and images to make it appear that public figures said or did things they never did.
He said the development had made verification more important than ever, urging journalists to remain vigilant against deliberately manipulated content.
The IGP also called for stronger cooperation between the police and the media, describing journalists as an important bridge between security agencies and the public.
“We need you, not to praise us, because we are not our publicists, but to tell the truth about us accurately and fairly,” he said.
He maintained that journalists should hold the police accountable whenever officers failed in their duties but should also acknowledge their achievements when they responded effectively to security challenges.
Disu lamented that the sacrifices of police officers were often overlooked, noting that many officers risked and lost their lives daily in the discharge of their responsibilities.
The police chief further shared his experience as commander of the Rapid Response Squad in Lagos, recounting how a journalist once recorded an officer buying ogogoro in the morning while preparing for duty.
He said the footage could have generated a damaging report suggesting that the officer was drinking alcohol before work.
However, the journalist brought the footage to his attention before publication, allowing the police to investigate.
According to Disu, the officer was arrested and the keg in his possession was recovered, only for the police to discover that it contained water.
He said the incident demonstrated the importance of establishing the full context of an event before drawing conclusions from pictures or videos.
The IGP urged journalists to protect their credibility, describing it as one of the most important assets they would need in the months ahead.
He congratulated the award recipients, saying their reports had helped prevent crimes, expose criminals and give victims a voice.
Disu reaffirmed that Nigeria had only one country and urged journalists and security agencies to work together to strengthen public confidence in national institutions.
“The story you file and the statement we issue will either strengthen this nation’s confidence in itself or erode it,” he said.
Also speaking, a former IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, who was represented by the Commissioner of Police in charge of Anti-Fraud at the Force Annex, Lagos, urged the media to guard against unverified reports in the national interest.
In his remarks, CCAN Chairman, Festus Fifen, described the gathering as a timely intervention in Nigeria’s preparations for the 2027 elections, stressing that the battle against insecurity must also be fought in the information space.
According to him, “as we approach the 2027 general elections, the responsibility of securing Nigeria cannot be left to security agencies alone. The media has a critical role to play in ensuring that accurate information prevails over fake news, misinformation and narratives capable of triggering tension and threatening national peace.”
He assured that the media would do everything possible to carry out the task ahead with a full sense of responsibility.
He commended the leadership role being provided by IGP Olatunji Disu for the Nigeria Police Force since he assumed office.
In her remarks, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Abuja Council, Comrade Grace Ike, called for adequate security for the media before, during, and after the elections.
She also cautioned against the harassment of journalists during the polls, saying that Nigerian media practitioners were critical stakeholders in the Nigerian project of the 2027 polls.
