Is FG Planning to Remove Pockets from Police Uniforms to Stop Bribery? Here is What We Know
- Social media users circulated viral claims that the FG planned to remove pockets from police uniforms to curb bribery
- Fact-checks revealed the claim did not come from the FG and was recycled from a 2017 post, amplified by amateur blogs and users
- The viral flyer used a 2024 photo from the unveiling of SPY police uniforms, misrepresenting it to push the false narrative
Recently, many online platforms and social media users proliferated claims that the federal government is purportedly planning to remove pockets from the uniforms of officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
They further noted that the move is a calculated attempt to tackle bribery in the system.
Source: Twitter
Legit.ng observed that the post was designed in a news headline format, and was mostly published on major social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and X.
The post was accompanied by a flyer showing a police officer holding a uniform belonging to the supernumerary police officers, popularly known as SPY police.
The flyer has the inscription: “FG TO REMOVE POCKETS FROM POLICE UNIFORMS TO TACKLE BRIBERY, SAYS FG”.
What did people say about the post?
X user, @ekwulu, posted:
"The flyer with the caption: “Who is thinking for these guys?”
The post has garnered over 90 reposts, 25 quotes, and 236 likes.
“Is it that they don’t know how to tackle the main issue or they just want to distract the populace?” another user commented.
“Suppose they decide to deploy POS for instant bribe payment ? POS is bigger than all pockets.
"Hope after removing the pockets they will deploy CCTV cameras in all police officers offices from the rank of ASP to IGP for equity reasons,” another X user commented on the post.
A Facebook page identified as “News in Naija” also posted the viral claim.
“You can’t beat Nigeria Police at all as they will get another means for keeping their proceeds from their illegal activities. They can start keeping the bribe in their Shoes or even underwear just to make sure that they are safe,” a Facebook user commented on the post.
“They’ll still purchase POS machine let’s bet,” a Facebook user commented on the post.
'Police uniform change' floods social media and how it is fake
A quick check from Legit.ng revealed that the viral post did not emanate from the federal government.
More so, it never mentioned the federal government official who made the announcement.
We also observed that the claim was shared only by amateur news blogs and social media users.
There was no such information on credible news platforms, police official handles, or government agency pages.
Police uniform change: Claims first appeared in 2017
Source: Getty Images
On their part, CableCheck also discovered that the claim had appeared in a 2017 post on Nairaland, an online forum where Nigerians discuss social, political, and economic issues. This suggests that the claim is a recycled one.
The picture in the flyer used to drive the narrative was taken during the unveiling of the standardised uniform and kits for SPY police on September 3, 2024.
The police officer in the picture is Bala Ciroma, deputy inspector-general of police, finance and administration, who represented Kayode Egbetokun, the IGP, at the unveiling of the SPY police uniforms.
The event was widely reported in the conventional media.
SPY police are individuals temporarily mainstreamed into the police force to perform specific policing functions, mostly at the request of private organisations or government officials.
SPY police officers are usually deployed to protect public and private facilities or carry out certain functions that require security.
According to the Nigeria Police Act 2020, SPY police officers are not paid by the NPF, but by private organisations that request their services.
Tinubu writes reps to amend police act
Previously, Legit.ng reported that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sent an executive bill to the leadership of the House of Representatives seeking to amend the Nigeria Police Act in accordance with section 58 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
The amendment also seeks to alter the Police Act in relation to the appointment and tenure elongation of the office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
Source: Legit.ng
