Abuja
The Commissioner of Police in charge of the FCT, CP Babaji Sunday, has tasked residents to eschew panic-driven generation and promulgation of fake news.
This is as the command has assured that Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) terrorists were not in any part of the territory as being speculated in a section of the media.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Josephine Adeh, in a press statement in Abuja, said: “…It is in the constructive interest of all and sundry to state that an end has to come to the era of panic-driven generation and promulgation of fake news.
“The latest of such is an erroneous publication in circulation in a section of the media suggesting terrorist invasion by the Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) into the outskirts of the territory making war chants as they stormed the Karshi resident of a Defence journalist.
“The news is baseless on all fronts as the said journalist refuted all highlighted parts maliciously amplified to suggest a terrorist invasion. Preliminary investigation also shows that nothing of such happened in the mentioned area and the FCT as a whole. “Residents are therefore urged to go about their lawful duties without the fear of harassment and molestation of any kind or from any quarters.”
According to the PPRO, “FCT Police Command in a bid to sustain and strengthen the territorial security has in recent times revisited the existing security architecture, refactor challenges, and proffer corresponding solutions to the emerging dynamics of crime and criminality in the territory.
“Consequent upon the above the Command in a short while has recorded several arrests of gunrunners, interrupted channels of prohibited substances /drug peddling, and arrested perpetrators.
“The detection and destruction of imminent criminal hideouts and execution of a general security sweep from the city centers to the suburbs displacing criminal elements have also been evident with the above.”
DSP Adeh further stated that, “CP Babaji Sunday while reassuring residents of the command’s unflinching commitment to bringing crime and criminality to the barest minimum enjoined members of the public to always verify news before circulating such information.
“He emphasised the need to maximise the availability of the various channels of complaint of the command in promptly reporting suspicious or abnormal activities as follows: 08032003913, 08061581938, 07057337653, and 08028940883, while the Public Complaint Bureau (PCB) desk, could be reached on: 0902 222 2352.”
