Police speak on reported kidnap of dead body in Rivers

The Rivers State Police Command has denied reports that 42 persons and seven policemen were killed in the State, and also that a corpse was arrested at Ahoada-East local government area of the state.

The command, in a statement by its spokesman, DSP Nnamdi Omoni, said the reports are false, unverifiable, unfounded, malicious, fake news and do not bear true semblance to the situation in Rivers.

He added that the reports are smear campaigns intended to lower the rising reputation and integrity of the Rivers State Police Command and portray officers and men of the command as being docile, complacent and not living up to requisite obligations.

Omoni further said the reports are being investigated with a view to ascertaining their veracity and sources and unmask the brains behind them, adding that anybody or group implicated either directed or indirectly in the acts of treachery will be dealt with in accordance with the law.

He said the Rivers State Police Command more than ever, is poised to fight all manner of crimes and criminality in the State, not minding the unnecessary distractions.

The statement reads; “The attention of the Rivers State Police Command has been drawn to damning online reports; that forty-two persons and seven Policemen were killed in the State and also that a corpse was arrested at Ahoada LGA.

“Ordinarily, the Command should have ignored these baseless reports and remain focused and committed in carrying out her statutory duties but in order not to allow the public form a dangerous opinion about us and live with such impressions. We, therefore, thought it expedient to put the records straight and react as follows:

“That the Rivers State Police Command more than ever, is poised to fight all manner of crimes and criminality in the State, not minding the unnecessary distractions.

“That the said reports are false, unverifiable, unfounded, malicious, fake news and do not bear true semblance of the situation in the State. They are but smear campaigns intended to lower the rising reputation and integrity of the Command and portray Officers and Men of the Command, as being docile, complacent and not living up to her requisite obligations.

“May I for the umpteenth time, state that the Command under the watch of the Commissioner of Police, CP Usman .A. Belel is irrevocably committed to tackling crime and criminality headlong and nobody or group no matter how highly placed in the Society will be spared by the Command’s dragnet in this regard.

“It is also important to place on records, that the spurious reports for whatever they are worth are being investigated with a view to ascertaining their veracity and sources and unmasked the brains behind them. Anybody or group implicated either directed or indirectly in these acts of treachery will be dealt with in accordance with the Law.

“The public is hereby advised to disregard and discountenance these reports as they are fake news and only exist in the imagination of their authors, orchestrated to paint the Command in bad colours and achieve their evil and selfish motives.

“Once again, I want to reiterate the disposition of the Command to protect lives and property, maintain Law and order and ensure that Rivers State is safe and secure. In doing this, we seek the unrelenting support and co-operation of the public, as we discharge our core mandate with consummate professionalism.”

A national tabloid had reported a story on a double tragedy for a family in Ochigba community in Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State where a group of gunmen allegedly shot and killed a young man after seizing the corpse of his mother.

According the newspaper, the incident, which allegedly happened in the community, caused serious panic among indigenes of the area and visitors, who came to witness the funeral of the deceased woman.