The Lagos
State Commissioner of Police, Prince Umar Manko, yesterday vehemently denied
any truth in the rumour spreading like wildfire in the state, that 20 kids,
from two different schools had been killed and kidnapped.
Speaking through
the Police Spokesperson, Ngozi Braide, Manko said it was all lies, stressing
that he was disappointed how idle minds would sit and concoct lies on their
laptops and phones, creating panic in the state.
The rumour
which reportedly started on Thursday, had it that about 10 students of Premier
groups of school, comprising Crèche, Primary and Secondary, located at the
Mushin area of Lagos, were stormed by kidnappers, who abducted 10 of the
students.
The news,
which was alleged to have started from a broadcast on a social media, caused
panic, leading to parents besieging the school yesterday morning, to ensure the
safety of their kids and wards.
Just as the
police were trying to reassure worried parents yesterday that the news was a false
alarm, another report emanated again from social media, alleging that Boko
Haram had killed 10 students in a school, named as Baruwa primary school,
located at the surulere area of Lagos.
Braide and
some journalists besieged Premier group of schools, were some angry parents,
expressed their anger and disappointment over the use of social media by some
Nigerians.
The school
authourity denied that any of its students were kidnapped; adding that the
rumour started since Wednesday at about 5pm. nobody could however state how and
where it started. It also added that roll calls of each of the over 700
students, had been taken and nobody was missing.
Braide said:
“As you can all see, we’re in the school and nothing happened. We however want
to use this opportunity to address parents to work as one with us and not to
believe rumour mongers. People just sit somewhere and concocted that story. If anybody
heard such a story and needed to confirm or give information about anything,
they should call 08065154338, 08063299264 and my own number 08115557885.
“We have
enough security men on the ground and security has equally been beefed up. We do
not envisage any problem in Lagos because security in Lagos is very tight. We should
learn to use the social media responsibly.”
Also fielding
question on the frenzy that had caught up with Lagos citizens who kill and set
ablaze any suspected kidnappers, Braide said: “It’s wrong for people to take
laws into their hands. Journalists should educate Nigerians about this. Today at
Shasha area of the state, a mob attacked a man and almost lynched him a live. He
was taking a two-year-old girl to school. The girl like most kids didn’t want
to go to school and was crying. When people saw the man with the crying child,
they attacked him with stones and sticks. He was almost killed but the Baale
called Police, who rescued the man. The parents of the girl later came,
explaining that they were the one who begged the man to assist them take the
girl to school.”
She said the
command would not take kindly to people taking laws into their hands, adding
that someone would soon be used an example by law enforcement.
One of the
parents, Mrs. Rosemary Anugwala, a business woman, who has three kids in
Premier schools, said she was still agreeing over the false report, which she
said she heard on a popular radio station.
She said: “I’m
a business woman. I was in my shop when I heard on the radio that 10 students
were kidnapped from Premier group of schools. I asked myself, which Premier
schools? I rushed out, leaving everything in the shop. I was shocked and
shaking. I can’t even begin to say how angry I was when I got to the school,
only to see the children in class, receiving lessons. I have three children in this school. The youngest
is in crèche. That rumour was an expensive one.”
Another
parent, Mr. Nuga Babatunde, who has four
kids in the school, said he only got to know about the rumour after he received
a text message from the school, that it wanted to address the issue. “I have
been patronising the school for 14 years now. One of my kids will be graduating
this year. I only came to fulfill all righteousness.”
Mr. Femi
Orile, Vice principal of the school, said they were shocked on Wednesday to see
a parent dashing into the school, saying that she heard 10 students were
kidnapped. They were assuring him that nothing happened, when another parents
dashed, leading to the school sending text messages to parents.
He added: “Today,
parents trouped in, but nothing happened in this school. Security is tight; someone
is just trying to tarnish the image of this school.”
The
Executive Director of the school, Mr. Abraham Martins said: “We have a
transport system and students who don’t use it, are brought to school by their
parents. We don’t release kids to anybody except their parents and those we
know. We have top notch security in this school.”
The police
said that nobody had reported any case or cases of children being ‘massacred’
at Baruwa Primary school, to the police.
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