When The Truth Is Twisted: Re-Examining Claims About ACP Tokunbo Abaniwonda -By Adenike Ajanlekoko

The recent publication by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) titled “Lagos’ Area M Police Steal N700,000 From 2 Men, but Commander Abaniwonda Asks, ‘What Do I Do?’” presents a troubling example of how selective framing and mischievous quotation can distort facts and unfairly malign public officers who are bound by due process.

Let us be clear from the outset: allegations against police personnel were formally reported to the appropriate authority, the Nigeria Police Complaint Response Unit (CRU) in Abuja.

Once a complaint is lodged with the CRU, it assumes jurisdiction and responsibility for handling the matter. This is not conjecture; it is the established procedure within the Nigeria Police Force.

Suggesting or implying inaction by an area commander whose superior office is already seized of the case is, at best, misleading.

A professional police investigation is not an impulsive or ad hoc exercise.

It follows a structured and sequential process: the report of a crime; securing and processing scenes and evidence; interviewing victims, witnesses, and suspects; collecting physical and digital evidence; developing investigative theories; linking evidence; identifying suspects; effecting arrests; charging suspects; and finally building a prosecutorial case.

Each step is deliberate, documented, and governed by law. Short-circuiting this process for the sake of sensational headlines does a disservice to justice and the public.

The attempt to mischievously quote ACP Tokunbo Abaniwonda to create an impression of indifference or incompetence is uncalled for.

When a matter is under the control of the CRU in Abuja, a superior and central oversight body, the Area Commander has limited direct involvement.

The appropriate journalistic step, therefore, would have been to seek updates from the CRU handling the complaint, not to insinuate wrongdoing or neglect by an officer whose remit is constrained by protocol.

Media organisations occupy a privileged position in society. With that privilege comes responsibility, particularly the duty to be objective, thorough, and fair in fact-finding and reportage.

Investigative journalism must illuminate the truth, not obscure it through selective quotations or suggestive headlines that prejudge outcomes and tarnish reputations.

In holding institutions accountable, the media must also hold itself to the highest standards. Accuracy, context, and balance are not optional; they are essential. Anything less undermines public trust and weakens the very cause investigative journalism seeks to advance.

Adenike Ajanlekoko writes from Ikeja, Lagos. email: brisknewsonline@gmail.com