Ilorin
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the Kwara State Police Command, DSP Ajayi Okasanmi, says no kidnappers’hideout in Ilorin, Kwara state, contrary to insinuations in social media and quarters in the state.
He cleared the air in a statement he released on Sunday in Ilorin, where he threw more light on the issue and the sequence of events that gave birth to the insinuations.
Okasanmi said: ‘’The attention of the Kwara State Police Command has been drawn to the false story alleging that kidnappers’ den was uncovered in Ilorin.
“This story has been in circulation,especially on social media in the past few days.The Command wishes to correct the distortion in the story and set the record straight.
“The fact of the case is that on February 21, 2020, information was received from members of the Oko Erin community, that there was a group of people suspected to be kidnappers in their community.”
The police image maker said that the basis of the information was that, one Wahab Rukayat(16), who was sent on an errand by her mother was said to have gone missing.
According to him, in the course of searching for her, she was found in the company of the said group of people who explained that they were networking marketers of GNLD products.
“They were sharing flyers and giving training to prospective marketers who showed interest in the business.
Okasanmi further explained that the alarm raised by her mother in the course of these events attracted the attention of many persons, from whom the story of the people being suspected kidnappers emanated.
“On receipt of the information at the police station, detectives from the ‘B’ Division, Surulere moved to the scene where a large crowd had already gathered.
“The people in the house who were alleged to be kidnappers were immediately taken to the Divisional Police Headquarters, Surulere along with the purported victim.
‘Investigations, however, revealed that the people were, in fact, marketers of the popular GNLD brand carrying out networking training for interested members of the public.
“The said Rukayat had on collecting one of their marketing flyers abandoned her errand and joined the training.
“This led to her mother’s assumption that she was missing and the ensuing misunderstanding and the consequent events. The matter has therefore been resolved,”the PPRO said.
He, therefore, advised members of the public to disregard the said story, stressing that the Acting Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, assured everyone that the Police would continue to carry out their duties to maximum capacity.
Okasanmi, who said that the command would ensure that state remains safe for people to live, work and for visitors, further assured the law-abiding people of their safety in the course of their day-to-day endeavours.
The police image maker, however, warned criminally-minded individuals or groups to desist from crime and any other activities likely to disturb the peace of the state or leave the state.
He also advised operators of social media platforms to, at all times, verify their stories before publication.
“The Command appreciates the people of Kwara state for their support and the commitment being shown to the philosophy of community policing in the state,” he added.
