Police speak on alleged presence of 79 terrorists in FCT
Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun
Published By: Ayorinde Oluokun
By Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja
The Nigerian Police Force has described a message circulating on WhatsApp and other social media platforms that it has announced a curfew in Federal Capital Territory over alleged presence of 79 terrorists in the Lugbe area of the capital city as false and misleading.
“The Police Force categorically debunks the claims made in the message,” Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force announced in a statement on Sunday.
The Police spokesperson added in the statement that intelligence gathered by police team and other security agencies indicated that there are no terrorists taking refuge in the Lugbe area of the FCT as being speculated in the statement.
Adejobi also denied authoring a statement warning the public about the presence of terrorists in FCT and declaring a curfew.
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“The Force believes this message was generated by a devious person/persons with intents to create tension, incite panic and destabilize the existing peace in the FCT,” Adejobi said while urging the public to only rely on official channels of police for information and to be careful of the messages they shared on the social media.
“We urge citizens to digest only news and information from the official handles of the Nigeria Police Force on social media, viz @PoliceNG on X, @ngpolice on Facebook, and @nigeriapoliceforce on Instagram and verified news sources.
“The Nigeria Police Force urges the public to exercise caution when sharing information online and to verify the authenticity of any security-related alerts with official sources before disseminating them. Citizens should disregard news and information not originating from authentic police sources and should not panic due to unverified news circulating on social media.
“The Nigeria Police Force remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of all citizens and residents of the Federal Capital Territory and the entire country.
“We encourage the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the nearest police station or through our emergency contact lines. The Nigeria Police Force appreciates the cooperation of the public and assures them of our unwavering dedication to protecting lives and property.”
