The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has ordered an investigation into a viral video showing the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, addressing police personnel, describing the footage as misleading and manipulated.

In a statement issued on Monday, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, clarified that the video had been altered with political campaign posters and captions to create a false narrative suggesting political engagement or endorsement by the Nigeria Police Force.

According to Adeh, the original footage dates back to 2024 when police officers were deployed to the Labour Party’s national headquarters in Utako, Abuja, following a distress call over unrest linked to a leadership dispute within the party.

“The attention of the FCT Police Command has been drawn to a video circulating on social media depicting some Nigeria Police personnel being addressed by Mr. Peter Obi,” she said.

“The Command observed that the video has been altered with political campaign posters and captions to create a mischievous and false narrative suggesting a political engagement or endorsement from personnel of the Nigeria Police Force. This misrepresentation is entirely false and does not reflect the true facts of the incident.”

Adeh explained that police personnel were at the scene to restore law and order and that Obi, who was present at the location, briefly addressed the officers while explaining the situation surrounding the internal party crisis.

She emphasised that the interaction was incidental and bore no political undertone.

“The interaction was purely incidental to the police response and had no political undertone whatsoever, as otherwise mischievously suggested in the viral video,” she added.

The spokesperson further disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, CP Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, has directed a thorough investigation into the origin and circulation of the altered video.

Reaffirming the Command’s neutrality, Adeh stated that the FCT Police remains an impartial and apolitical institution committed to its constitutional responsibilities.

“The Command will not allow its operational activities or personnel to be misrepresented or exploited for partisan propaganda or any other vested interest,” she said.

She also urged members of the public to refrain from creating or sharing misleading content capable of deceiving the public or undermining confidence in institutions, advising citizens to verify information through official channels before dissemination.