The police in Enugu State have launched an investigation to determine the origin of a social media report alleging that armed herders attacked a school in Ezeagu Local Government Area. In a statement released on Tuesday in Enugu, the command's spokesperson, Daniel Ndukwe, described the report as false and misleading. Ndukwe, a superintendent of police, emphasized that no such attack occurred in any school within the council area or elsewhere in the state.
Immediate on-the-spot security assessments, intelligence gathering, operational actions, and discreet investigations conducted by the command clearly revealed that no attack took place in any school in Ezeagu LGA or any other part of Enugu State. The command expressed concern over the deliberate fabrication and circulation of such unfounded information, which is capable of inciting fear and creating unnecessary panic among the public, including school administrators, teachers, students, pupils, and parents.
Efforts have been intensified to identify, apprehend, and prosecute the individuals responsible for originating and disseminating the false report. The Commissioner of Police in Enugu, Mamman Giwa, has directed the command's tactical and intelligence units to intensify efforts to arrest the originators and peddlers of the false report. They will face the full weight of the law.
Similar Incident in Akwa Ibom
In a related development, a similar incident occurred in Esit Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, where police arrested a man named Akaninyene Udo over an alleged fake Facebook post claiming that bandits were planning an attack in Akwa Ibom. The suspect was apprehended following investigations into a viral social media post in which he circulated a threatening message stating, 'Eket get ready for us,' accompanied by an image of an armed bandit, according to the police spokesperson in Akwa Ibom, Timfon John.
The Enugu police command reiterated its commitment to protecting lives and property, as well as maintaining peace, safety, and public order in schools and across the state. Residents are encouraged to disregard the report and remain calm, law-abiding, and security conscious, while promptly reporting suspicious persons, activities, and other security concerns to the nearest police station or any security agency.
