A viral video on twitter and several other social media platforms depicts what appears to be Nigerian police officers harassing a young lady.
Our findings show that the contents of the viral video are real. The Nigerian Police Force confirmed it to be accurate and have taken responsibility.
Full Text
The topic of Police harassment continues to attract widespread debate, even as the police have attracted criticism over multiple conspiracies primarily revolving around harassment, unfair hearing, and corruption. An example is this video which portrays some Nigerian policemen harassing a young lady who appeared to be a suspect for a specific crime.
The video which appeared on multiple social media platforms has garnered even more traction on Twitter. A twitter share of the video quickly garnered over 150K views while further engagements show about 1,600 likes, 1,700 retweets, and 1700 comments.
This video has made the police the butt of a significant target for criticism, depicting in them a deficit in manners and a brash approach in their management of citizen’s relations. However, notwithstanding its viral nature and plausibility, Dubawa opts to ascertain its authenticity and offer it as a media literacy tool.
Verification
Dubawa traced a tweet produced by the Nigerian Police Force on their official Twitter handle. The major theme of the tweet states that:
“The Inspector General of Police has ordered discreet investigations into the circumstances surrounding the dehumanizing treatment meted out to a female citizen in the above viral video.
The IGP, while condemning the act, has directed the commencement of comprehensive investigations aimed at unraveling the true identity of the perpetrators with a view to bringing them to justice.
Members of the public are hereby assured that any member of the Force found culpable in the incident will be made to face appropriate sanctions.”
The above statement did indicate not only the validity of the video but also proved the evidence of the actions within it to be true. Though the police could not confirm the identity of the officers involved in the conduct at first, an analysis of the video has shown no element of editing or doctoring of the video, making the video and the activities within it to be credible.
Eventually, the Nigerian Police Force, on the 27th of July, released a statement via another tweet confirming the arrest of the four men involved in the video. The police also stated that the officers in question would face disciplinary measures on the completion of ongoing investigations.
Conclusion
The viral video is indeed valid, and the persons involved have been confirmed by the police to be officers. However, the case is still under investigation, and the police have assured the victim of justice.