The Gombe State Police Command has dismissed claims circulating on social media that youths in the state were mobilising to confront insurgents, describing a viral video making the rounds online as misleading and taken out of context.
The video, widely shared on Facebook, showed a group of individuals with gunshots ringing out in the background.
Some social media users interpreted the footage as evidence of residents preparing to defend themselves against insurgent attacks.
Accompanying the video was a caption that read: “Gombe is ready to protect itself. Nigerians are ready to face the monster and that’s the bravest way to eliminate it.
“Fish out all the collaborators within, then face the dragon and slay it. If you have to dig out the gods of your forefathers, do it. The fact is the state police is no longer a debate, it’s a must!”
However, the Police Public Relations Officer in Gombe State, Abdullahi Buhari, said the video had no connection with any security operation or civilian mobilisation against insurgents.
Speaking to journalists on Saturday, Buhari explained that the footage was recorded during a traditional Sallah celebration and featured local hunters firing gunshots as part of festivities organised to honour the Emir of Gombe.
“That was a video done by hunters in celebration of the Islamic celebration. It’s usually done to celebrate either Eid-el-Kabir or Eid-el-Fitr in the state.
“They did that to usher in the Emir of Gombe. If you noticed, the environment is around the kofa (premises) of the king,” he said.
The police spokesperson accused those behind the viral post of deliberately misrepresenting the event to attract attention and create confusion among members of the public.
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“I have seen that video. It’s a description of the event in the video. They wrote something entirely different from what was happening in the video.
“I guess it was written to get traffic and confuse the public. If you listened to what was said, the description was wrong,” Buhari added.
He urged residents and social media users to verify information before sharing it, warning that the spread of false narratives could trigger unnecessary panic and undermine public confidence.
The command reiterated its commitment to maintaining peace and security in the state and cautioned against the dissemination of unverified information capable of misleading the public.
