Catholic Priest, Fada Angelo Chidi Unegbu, has countered claims by the Nigeria Police that the heavily armed men captured in a viral video were vigilantes and hunters.
DAILY POST reports that social media was recently flooded with disturbing footage of armed men on motorcycles, moving from one location to another.
In the video, a Police officer with a rifle was captured waving at the armed men suspected to be bandits.
Background voices captured in the viral video further fuelled the controversy as one person believed to be a passenger recording the video from a commercial vehicle was heard referring to the riders as “barayin daji”, a Hausa term commonly used to describe terrorists.
Another passenger was also heard cautioning the one recording the video, questioning why he was making such a remark.
However, the police in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Anietie Iniedu, claimed that the individuals in the motorcycle convoy were “duly recognised members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria and registered hunters” supporting ongoing security operations in Musawa and Matazu Local Government Areas of Katsina State.
Reacting, Fada Angelo, in a post on Facebook, said the claim by the police was “a blatant lie”
He said, “The recent viral video showing police officers making way for and interacting with heavily armed men on motorcycles says it all.
“Police authorities immediately tried to debunk the video, of course, as expected, by saying that such heavily armed men were hunters and vigilantes assisting security operations. What a blatant lie! What an insult!” he said.