Election: IG vows crackdown on fake news purveyors

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has vowed to crack down on individuals spreading fake news, fabricated videos, and other misleading digital content that can cause public panic and insecurity in Nigeria. Disu emphasized that the Nigeria Police Force has strengthened its cybercrime monitoring and digital forensic capabilities to identify and prosecute those responsible for circulating such content.

He warned that misinformation could exacerbate insecurity, particularly as the country approaches the 2027 general elections, and urged journalists to verify security incidents before publishing them. The police also proposed a verification channel with the Crime Correspondents Association of Nigeria to enable accredited reporters to obtain prompt and reliable confirmation of security-related information.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.