Friday, April 14, 2017

‘My colleagues framed me for kidnapping’



Miss Cynthia Audu 30, on February 27, became another victim of the social media madness and lies.
According to Audu, a viral message, shared on social medial showed that the purported user of a WhatsApp got an invitation for interview, after applying for job on a vacancy site.

The user said that when she got to the venue, where the job interview was to be held, she discovered the building and job, were ruse used by ritual killers to get victims.
The viral message read: “I applied for a job via Jiji on Monday, on Wednesday I was called for interview in Maryland. When I got to the lonely building in Mende, I saw two men, the look on their faces was not funny.”
According to the message, the applicant was asked to switch off her phone by two men and allegedly harassed to enter the building. She said she was saved by another guy who saw her wearing a Winners Church wristband and came to help her. He advised her to leave because of the suspicious nature of the arrangement.
Audu, who was caught up in the storm that followed the broadcast of the applicant, is the team leader of Zenrise Marketers located at 1, Olabisi Close, Mende, Maryland, Lagos.
Audu has refuted the story, stressing that she only engages in training, personal development, supply of services and recruitment into product marketing.
Audu, in company with her lawyer, Barrister Adeola Samuel Ilori,  said her group, which is an affiliate of multi-level marketing firm, GNLD, does not engage in any shady business.
According to Audu, the message was the handiwork of her detractors, who were bent on running her out of business.  
She explained that Zenrise Integrated Services is into distribution of neo-life products, human capacity training and personal life development.
She said: “I got to the office on that day and was shown a viral message by my colleagues about our building and our office. In the message, somebody said she was saved from kidnapping and all that. Just as I got to office, policemen from Anthony Police Station came and demanded to speak with me. They had a chat with me; I explained the nature of our work to them. They went round the building and inspected the whole place. They found nothing incriminating. I went with them to the police station; I wrote my statement and went back to office. They also took statements from some of my distributors.
 “Two days later, policemen from Zone 2, Onikan,  came to the building. They arrested about five to eight persons and took them to Zone 2. I wasn’t around when they came. They called me and I went there. When I got there, they released the guys who are my trainees and distributors. I was detained for two days on the ground that the AIG wanted to have a chat with me.”
Speaking further, Audu said: “We used to gather people for training. We are not the only one using that building; there is a church and a pharmaceutical company. There is a photo studio and a bar. I moved into the office last year. The experience for me looks as if it was a dream. I’m  a responsible citizen who is out to assist people. I don’t know why some people want to bring me down with such an incredible lie.”
Audu said that she wanted members of the public to  know that, “I’m not involved in any human trafficking or kidnapping or shady business. All we do is to save the hopeless and get them engaged with something that they can use to take care of themselves and families.”
Ilori, who is also a human right activist, said the allegation was completely baseless. He urged the police to fish out the people behind the false alarm and kidnap allegation.
Ilori said further that in the course of his own personal investigation, he realised that the message was a hoax, aimed at tarnishing the image and business of Audu.

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