Oyo police deny report of abducted child's death in captivity

The Oyo State Police Command has strongly refuted a report claiming a kidnapped schoolchild died in captivity, labeling the information as "malicious, misleading and entirely unfounded." The police stated the report was designed to incite panic and undermine ongoing rescue efforts for students abducted from three schools in Esinele, Oriire Local Government Area.

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The Oyo State Police Command has observed with grave concern the circulation of a malicious and entirely unfounded report alleging that one of the schoolchildren abducted during the recent incident at Ahoro-Esiele, Oriire Local Government Area, died while in captivity.

In a statement, the command's spokesperson, Ayanlade Olayinka, emphasized that neither the police nor any other security agency involved had confirmed the death of any abducted pupils. The statement expressed concern over the emotional narratives and speculative claims used in the report to manipulate public opinion and create anxiety.

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It is particularly disturbing that the authors of the report deliberately employed emotional narratives, speculative claims and unverified accounts in a calculated attempt to manipulate public opinion and generate anxiety among residents.

The police warned that spreading unverified security-related information could jeopardize rescue operations, distress victims' families, and embolden criminals. They cautioned bloggers, social media influencers, and online publishers against circulating such reports, urging adherence to professional standards and verification of sensitive information before publication.

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Consequently, the Oyo State Police Command strongly cautions individuals, bloggers, social media influencers, online content creators and media platforms against the publication or amplification of unverified security-related information.

The command appealed to the public to rely solely on official communications from the Nigeria Police Force and other authorized security agencies for credible updates. They reaffirmed their commitment to the safe rescue of the abducted schoolchildren and assured residents that verified updates would be provided as the situation develops.

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The indiscriminate sharing of false reports, particularly those capable of inciting fear or causing public disorder, is irresponsible and unacceptable.