A post which was seen on WhatsApp claims that the Mobile Police Unit of the Nigeria Police Force was withdrawing its personnel in view of the planned nationwide protest of August 1 2024.
According to the memo datedJuly 25, 2024, stamped and signed by a certain CSP Okon E Moses, second in Command of No. 2 Squadron, Police Mobile Force, Keffi Street, Lagos, the notice which was addressed to no one in particular, the personnel withdrawal “is part of proactive measures to enhance the operational capacity/capability of the Squadron”.
The memo as seen on WhatsApp
The memo with official insignia of the Mobile Police Unit’s Commanding Officer was also shared by Simon Ekpa on his verified x (formerly twitter) handle.
Posted at 5:09 pm on July 26, 2024, Ekpa’s post had garnered 1,700 reposts, 57,400 views and 2300 likes at the time it was seen by Haltfake.
The memo posted on X (formerly Twitter) by Simon Ekpa
Another verified X user named Harry also shared the post at 9:27am on 27th July. It has also generated huge traction with over 114,000 views, 999 reposts and over 1800 likes.
Verification
A keyword search to verify the memo and the information it was carrying was done.
A July 27 2023 news item was found. It was one of the first directives of Kayode Egbetokun, then acting Inspector-General of Police, for the immediate withdrawal of the Police Mobile Force (PMF) from 37 squadrons across the country. Then in 2023, he announced plans to withdraw police personnel, specifically PMF from VIPs across Nigeria.
Related media reports of this 2023 withdrawal of police personnel from VIPs can be found here, here, and in November 2020 by then Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu.
A check on the official verified X handle of the Nigeria Police Force shows that there is no such memo.
Also, there is no such memo on the official X handle of the https://x.com/Lagos Police Command either.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, did not have any such memo on his handle too.
A forensic analysis of the image using the InVid/We Verify indicates that it was manipulated.
The image in question does not exist on any official channel of the Police, apart from the X handle of Simon Ekpa and Harry, as well as a couple of places including here, and here, both published on 28 July, 2024.
This therefore provokes the question about the motive of Simon Ekpa.
Based in Finland, Simon Ekpa is a Biafra agitator who has been at the forefront of the activism for a Biafra nation.
The media report that Ekpa has been accused of making inciting comments and instigating people of Igbo extraction against the Nigerian nation and government.
All efforts to get the Police Headquarters spokesman to respond has been unfruitful as at the time of filing this report.
