Godstime Simon
The Nigerian Police Force has taken Safiyanu Ameerah into custody, following the belief that her claim of being abducted, along with 17 others, may be false.
The Forces spokesman, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, in an ambiguous and vague press statement, issued today 17th June 2022, implied that Ameerah was never kidnapped, let alone along with other 17 Nigerians.
The statement without giving any insight to whether Ameerah was kidnapped or not, created doubts in the minds of Nigerians as to the authenticity of her abduction story.
Adejobi added that right from the beginning of her claim, the police had sensed she was selling a pack of lies.
It will be recalled that Ameerah, in a social media post, raised the alarm that she and 17 others were kidnapped at gunpoint by some men in police uniform. The said false alarm occurred on 14th June, with the incident alleged to have taken about 1: pm.
The police found and arrested her three days after the tweet.
Ameerah had pushed out a distress tweet that she and 17 others, including three pregnant women and two little kids were abducted at gunpoint by people in police uniforms in Abuja.
Ameerah, said the police, had been found and arrested after plunging the country into a state of panic.
Adejobi said: “Ameerah Safiyanu who claimed to have been kidnapped along with 17 others by some policemen at gunpoint on 14th June 2022, has been found. We have some suspicions about her claims as much as we debunk the kidnap of 17 others. We have some findings to make to get a clearer picture of the whole scenario and take a proper decision as and when due. We will keep the public abreast of our findings as soon as possible.”
The FCT Police Command on their tweeter handle, further buttressed Adejobi’s argument, insisting that Ameerah raised a false claim of being kidnapped. But just like the Force spokesman, the FCT command refused to state why the Nigeria Police doubted Ameerah’s story.
The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Oduniyi Omotayo, tweeted: “The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command wishes to categorically debunk the viral news of the alleged kidnapping of one Safiyanu Ameerah and 17 others who were reportedly abducted at gunpoint by armed men in Police uniform on Tuesday 14th June 2022 at about 1:00 pm and to state that Safiyanu Ameerah is currently safe in Police custody. While she is currently in the hospital receiving medical attention as demanded by global best practices, the investigation continues, and findings will be communicated subsequently. The Commissioner of Police FCT Command CP Babaji Sunday, while commending the gallantry of the Tactical and Investigative apparatus detailed in the case, appreciated the members of the public for their calm maintained and the various degrees of useful information given to the Police. He enjoined the good people of the FCT not to relent in partnering with the police, especially towards the rendition of information, to remain vigilant, and report any suspicious or abnormal occurrence to the Police through the following emergency lines: 08032003913, 08061581938, 07057337653, and 08028940883, While the Public Complaint Bureau (PCB) desk, could be reached on: 0902 222 2352.”
The confusion created by Adejobi and Omotayo’s statements had naturally thrown social media sites on fire, with many demanding that Ameerah should be prosecuted if she was found to have raised a false claim of abduction.
A tweeter user, Ozo Nna Nyere Nwa@nwa_anambra, said: “Did the police from the tweet you read debunk that Ameera was not kidnapped? If she was not, why did they take her to a hospital? Are they debunking that 17 people were not kidnapped or that Ameera was not kidnapped or that she was not kidnapped by men in police uniform?”
Another tweeter user, Kamal Mohammed @Jauro_Kamal, mentioned: “I knew this, a close associate of Amira told me about the kidnapping after breakfast but at a gunpoint, alongside 17 others. however, she was scared and ran helter-skelter but stopped. The bike man narrated the same story at the bank. Well, I’m also confused with this breaking news.”
Omotayo of Lagos@Tee_Classiquem1, who was clearly vexed with the police statements, demanded angrily: “Where did you see her? Was she kidnapped with 17 others or not? You can’t just ask us to debunk the kidnapped news without giving us details about what really transpired, people invested their time, money, data, and emotions when she was declared missing, and we deserve an explanation.”
