• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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BusinessDay

Police deny report  of 25 missing children, warn against false social media messages

Frank Mba
The Nigeria  Police, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has debunked the reports of the kidnap and rescue of 25 missing children in Abuja even as it urged the public to be wary of false and misleading social media messages.
The Command through its spokesman Anjuguri Manza, in a statement said “the attention of the FCT Police Command has been drawn to a misleading message currently trending on WhatsApp and other social media platforms on the purported rescue of twenty-five missing and kidnapped children.
“The command wishes to inform the public that the misleading message currently in circulation is the handiwork of some unscrupulous persons whose goal is to cause apprehension and unnecessary fear in the minds of well-meaning members of the public,” the statement said.
It added that  it is pertinent to note that the same message was in circulation a couple of months ago.
He said that while the Police is reassuring the public of its commitment to protect lives and property in the Federal Capital Territory, the public is enjoined to disregard the message and be wary of circulating unverified information that is capable of creating unnecessary panic.
Meanwhile, the Command said  that on 18thSeptember, 2019 police operatives from Nyanya Division on surveillance along Nyanya under bridge arrested one Terfa Akaara ‘m’ 35 years old, a suspected member of a ‘one chance’ robbery syndicate operating along the route.
“The suspect who was in the company of other members of his gang was arrested while scouting for unsuspecting victims in a black golf car with registration no. XA 581 TKP. His cohorts, however, escaped on sighting the police operatives. Effort is being intensified to arrest the fleeing suspects. He will be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of the investigation,” the statement added.