The Imo State Cops Command has debunked reports declaring that four students of Federal government Ladies Secondary School, Okigwe Roadway, Owerri, were abducted by suspected ranchers, describing the claim as incorrect and misleading.
Reports had actually previously emerged on Tuesday claiming that four students of the school were kidnapped, triggering issues among residents and parents.
However, in a statement released by the Police Public Relations Officer, Henry Okoye, the Command dismissed the report, stating that no such event happened throughout the state.
According to Okoye, following the blood circulation of the report, the Commissioner of Cops in Imo State, CP Audu Garba Bosso, directed the Assistant Commissioner of Authorities in charge of Operations and Planner of the Safe School Initiative, ACP Abdullahi Wase, to right away validate the claim.
The police team consequently visited the school and met with the Principal, Mrs. Amadi Apolonia, in addition to members of personnel and trainees, who all verified that no kidnapping had occurred.
“The report is totally false, unproven, and must be overlooked by members of the public,” Okoye mentioned.
He included that all students and personnel of the school were safe and fully represented, keeping in mind that academic activities continued without any disturbance.
The cops representative further worried that there was no case of kidnapping including any school within Owerri metropolitan area or any other part of Imo State.
The Command likewise attended to concerns over the early dismissal of trainees from federal government secondary schools in Owerri, clarifying that the action was simply administrative and unrelated to any security danger.
According to the police, the early closure was necessitated by an arranged meeting including teachers and school personnel at the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) Secretariat.
Reacting to the development, Commissioner of Police Audu Garba Bosso advised citizens to remain calm and vigilant, cautioning versus the spread of unproven information capable of causing unnecessary panic.
The Command also warned that the purposeful dissemination of phony news and false information constitutes a criminal offense and vowed that anyone found responsible would be identified, examined, and prosecuted in accordance with the law.