By Johnson Nwankwo
The Enugu State Police Command, Friday, stated that the report alleging that eleven people were kidnapped at the Amechi-Idodo area of the Enugu/Abakaliki highway is false.
The command said those behind the report were bent on creating panic and misleading unsuspecting members of the public.
The clarification was contained in a statement by the command’s public relations officer, DSP Daniel Ndukwe.
Ndukwe said, “This stance is giving the total contradiction and distortion of facts surrounding the incident of an attempted abduction along the said road, on July 16, 2024, around 6 p.m.
“Contrary to the misleading report, a joint security team, upon receipt of a distress call on the incident, moved to the Enugu/Ebonyi border point along the Enugu/Abakaliki expressway, on the said date and time. Thence, they rescued thirteen occupants of a Nissan commercial bus. However, three others, who scampered into nearby bushes upon the attack, are yet-to-be located.”
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, CP Kanayo Uzuegbu, has ordered the sustenance of ongoing operations to locate and rescue the three missing victims, and also hunt down the assailants.
He reassured commitment to sustain collaborative efforts with internal and neigbouring states’ security forces to ensure watertight security on major highways.
The CP further cautions reporters and publishers to always verify their facts before going to press, to avoid misleading and creating panic in the minds of unsuspecting members of the public.
