By Onyeanya Immaculata
The Federal Government has dismissed claims that it is operating a secret multi-agency task force to unlawfully arrest, detain or prosecute opposition politicians, describing a circulating document alleging such plans as fake and misleading.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the viral document was part of a deliberate disinformation campaign aimed at misleading the public and undermining democratic institutions.
The document, widely shared on social media, alleged the existence of a special task force codenamed “ADP4VIP” (Arrest, Detain, Prosecute for Very Important Persons), purportedly involving agencies such as the EFCC, ICPC and the NFIU, under the coordination of the Office of the National Security Adviser.
The government categorically denied the claim, stressing that no such task force exists and that it has no intention of targeting opposition politicians outside the confines of the law.
“The Federal Government harbours no plans to unlawfully arrest, detain or prosecute opposition figures,” the statement said, adding that the document falsely portrays lawful accountability as political persecution.
The government accused the authors of the document of attempting to shield influential individuals from legitimate anti-corruption scrutiny while spreading false narratives to weaken opposition politics.
Reaffirming its commitment to democracy, the administration said President Bola Tinubu remains guided by the rule of law, due process and the independence of institutions, while urging Nigerians to disregard fake news, especially as the 2027 elections approach.