Police debunk viral video claiming Gombe youths mobilising to fight insurgents

The Gombe State Police Command has officially refuted claims circulating on social media that youths were mobilizing to confront insurgents. A viral video, widely shared on Facebook, depicted gunshots in the background and was misinterpreted by some users as a call to arms against militants.

The accompanying caption wrongly suggested a readiness to defend the state and confront perceived threats. However, the Police Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Buhari, clarified that the footage was captured during a traditional celebration honoring the Emir of Gombe. The gunshots were fired by local hunters as part of festivities marking Islamic celebrations like Eid-el-Kabir or Eid-el-Fitr.

“

That was a video done by hunters in celebration of the Islamic celebration. It’s usually done to celebrate either Eid-el-Kabir or Eid-el-Fitr in the state. They did that to usher in the Emir of Gombe. If you noticed, the environment is around the kofa (premises) of the king.

Buhari explained that the environment shown in the video was near the king's premises. He urged the public to exercise caution and verify information before disseminating it, warning that misinformation can lead to significant public panic and confusion. He noted that the video's description was entirely inaccurate and likely intended to attract attention and mislead the public.

The police spokesperson reaffirmed the command's dedication to maintaining peace and security within the state. He also cautioned social media users against spreading unverified information that could undermine public order.

“

I have seen that video. It’s a description of the event in the video. They wrote something entirely different from what was happening in the video. I guess it was written to get traffic and confuse the public. If you listened to what was said, the description was wrong.