By Adewole Kehinde
As Nigeria enters 2026 amid rapid digital expansion, one of the most urgent challenges confronting public institutions, especially the Nigeria Police Force, is the unchecked spread of fake news and misinformation.
What was once a fringe problem has evolved into a systemic threat to public trust, national security, and human rights. Strengthening the police’s prosecution power against misinformation is no longer optional; it is a democratic necessity.
A troubling illustration of this challenge surfaced on January 8, 2026, on a Facebook page titled “Nigerian Police Recruitment 2025/2026 Update’s Post.” The page published a story presenting a tragic incident involving the late ASP Shafi’u Bawa, claiming that his lifeless body was discovered hanging from the ceiling of his room in Kontagora, Niger State, and recounting his father’s grief upon discovering the body.
The problem is not merely the sensitivity of the subject; it is the misrepresentation of time and fact. The incident occurred in January 2025, yet it was repackaged and reposted a year later as fresh news.
This practice, recycling old tragedies as current events, is not harmless. It is deceptive and punishable under the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act which criminalises false information intended to cause public alarm or distress.
When such content circulates widely, it retraumatises families, misleads citizens, and distorts public understanding. Worse still, the Facebook page in question operates under the name of the Nigerian Police without authorisation, an offence that compounds the initial wrongdoing. Impersonation of a security institution is a serious crime that the Nigeria Police must decisively confront.
Manipulation of information does more than deceive; it undermines trust. Disinformation acts as a corrosive force, eroding faith in institutions, fostering division within communities, and challenging the fundamental principles of human rights.
When citizens cannot distinguish truth from fabrication, scepticism and uncertainty flourish. Social cohesion weakens, polarisation deepens, and emotions are manipulated for clicks, influence, or profit.
In this sense, disinformation is not merely a communications problem; it is a governance and human rights crisis.
The influence of disinformation also intersects with the critical realm of documentation and record-keeping.
Accurate records are the backbone of justice, accountability, and historical truth. When falsehoods contaminate public records, especially in matters involving security agencies, the implications for civil society are profound.
Advocacy efforts are compromised, victims are misrepresented, and policy responses risk being built on false premises. Between truth and deception, disinformation creates a grey zone that is difficult to navigate and even harder to correct once it hardens into public belief.
This is why, in 2026, the Nigeria Police must strengthen its prosecution capacity against fake news and misinformation.
Enforcement must move beyond reactive statements to proactive investigations, swift prosecutions, and visible deterrence. Clear signals must be sent that impersonation of the police, recycling of old incidents as current news, and deliberate distortion of facts will attract consequences under the law.
Equally important is collaboration. The Nigeria Police should establish formal partnerships with social media platforms and reputable fact-checking organisations to rapidly identify, verify, flag, and remove false claims.
Technology companies possess the tools; the police have the mandate. Together, they can shorten the lifespan of disinformation before it metastasises.
The police should also join forces with human rights experts, government agencies, and media outlets to pool resources, share verified information, and coordinate responses.
These networks can be used to publicly call out false and misleading content, publish corrections, and make verified information easily accessible to citizens. Transparency and speed are essential antidotes to falsehood.
Finally, public education must complement prosecution. Nigerians should be encouraged to verify sources, question sensational claims, and report impersonation pages. Trust is rebuilt not only through punishment but also through consistent truth-telling.
In strengthening prosecution power against fake news, the Nigeria Police will be doing more than enforcing the Cybercrime Act; it will be defending truth, protecting citizens, and restoring confidence in public institutions. In a digital age where lies travel fast, justice must move faster.
Adewole Kehinde is a public affairs analyst based in Abuja. 08166240846. kennyadewole@gmail.com @kennyadewole