Police to Track, Prosecute Fake News Peddlers Ahead of 2027 — IGP Disu

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has warned that the Nigeria Police Force will track, arrest and prosecute individuals spreading fake news, fabricated videos and other misleading digital content capable of causing public panic and undermining the 2027 general elections.

The warning was delivered on Wednesday at the annual conference and awards ceremony of the Crime Correspondents Association of Nigeria in Abuja .

THE STRATEGY

Disu outlined a three-pronged approach to tackling misinformation.

“First, the National Cybercrime Centre monitors online platforms for false and inciting content, and we have extended the cybercrime activities to our Criminal Investigation Departments nationwide,” he said .

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“Second, we trace and prosecute. Through digital forensics, we have identified and arrested individuals behind fabricated notices and videos”.

“Third, we respond quickly when a false claim goes viral. The police will say so early, with evidence, rather than leave a vacuum for a rumour” .

The IGP stressed that the measures were targeted at deliberate fabrications and incitement, not at legitimate journalism.

“Like I said earlier, these measures target deliberate fabrications and incitement. They are not aimed at honest journalism,” he said .

THE PHONE FARMS AND DEEPFAKES

At a separate webinar organised by the PUNCH Media Foundation on Wednesday, Assistant Commissioner of Police Bashir Abdullahi, representing the IGP, revealed that the police had raided facilities known as “phone farms”, operations involving hundreds of mobile phones and automated accounts used to create the false impression of widespread public support or discussion

“We have recently come across information regarding the coordinated effort being made by some individuals to see that they tamper with our elections. Having dissected the information, we were able to carry out targeted raids at phone farms,” Abdullahi said.

He also disclosed that a suspect was in custody over the alleged circulation of false information about a political candidate from the South-South region, and that the police had investigated a case in Benin, Edo State, where a suspect created a deepfake video of President Bola Tinubu making statements he never made.

The suspect reportedly claimed he did it “just to trend” .

Abdullahi said the police had partnered with technology companies, including Meta and TikTok, to identify those behind suspicious content, obtain user particulars, request takedowns and preserve evidence for prosecution .

WHY IT MATTERS

The 2027 election will be fought not just at polling units, but online.Deepfakes, cloned voices, and coordinated disinformation campaigns have the potential to mislead voters, inflame tensions, and undermine confidence in the electoral process.

The police are right to prepare.

But the crackdown also raises questions. Who decides what is “fake news”? How will the police distinguish between deliberate disinformation and legitimate political criticism? And will the powers be used to silence dissent, as they have been in other countries?

The IGP has promised that the measures will target “deliberate fabrications and incitement,” not honest journalism. The proof will be in the enforcement. ValidViewNetwork reports.