Edo State Police Command has refuted a viral report being circulated on the social media that six occupants of a Toyota Sienna kidnapped along Benin-Auchi road were killed after the kidnappers collected ransom.
The Command in a statement on Friday, by its image maker, SP Kontons Bello, described the report as misleading, adding that the six victims were rescued unhurt same day by its operatives.
“The attention of the Edo State Police Command has been drawn to a misleading report in the various social media platforms that a full load of Sienna bus with its passengers kidnapped and all killed some days ago after collecting ransom from their family members.
It could be recalled that on the 07/07/2021 at about 1830hrs, the Edo State Police Command through its Egba division received information that a Toyota sienna belonging to a private transport company travelling from Ekpoma to Benin was intercepted by hoodlums suspected to be kidnappers at Igue-Ozevbara and all the occupants including the driver named Eric Ehiaguna, kidnapped and forced into the forest.
“The command wish to state clearly that all the six [6] kidnapped victims were rescued by the police same day un-hurt,” Bello said.
The statement gave the names of the occupants of the said Toyota Sienna as: Pastor Samuel Ojiefoh, Mr. Osotie Gregory, Mr. Iredia Justice, Miss Mercy Ikpefuan, Mr. John Odiase and Mr. Eric Ehiaguna.
“The Police Command is using this opportunity to inform the general public to disregard and ignore the misleading report which is capable of causing unnecessary panic as no such incident happened in Edo State.
“The Command further advice those fabricating such misleading information in the social social media to desist from such malicious report forthwith,” the statement concluded.
