The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has decried the growing trend of misinformation, saying the Force has suffered serious reputational damage as a result. The police chief made the claim yesterday at the opening ceremony of Police Public Relations Officers’ conference held in Abuja.

While noting their critical role in projecting the activities of the Force, Egbetokun tasked the image makers on the urgent and compelling need to dominate the social media space.

This, he noted, is with a view to protecting the reputation of the lead agency in internal security. The IGP said: “There is a growing trend of misinformation circulating across digital platforms; old videos resurfaced as recent events, edited images presented as truth, and misleading narratives deliberately crafted to distort public perception.”

According to him: “No public institution in Nigeria has suffered more reputational damage from misinformation than the Nigeria Police Force. “While we must acknowledge that it is neither strategic nor feasible for the Inspector-General or the Force Headquarters to respond to every distorted claim or sensational falsehood, silence is no more an option.

“The responsibility lies with you, the Public Relations Officers across Commands and Formations, to respond swiftly, accurately, and responsibly at the point where such misinformation emerges.”