Police Dismiss Alleged Abduction at School in Nasarawa
By Abdulkadir Yahaya, Nassarawa
Tension eased in the Rukubi community, Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, on Friday after the State Police Command dismissed viral reports claiming that suspected kidnappers abducted pupils at St. Peter’s Foundation Secondary School.
A statement from the Police Public Relations Officer, Ramhan Nansel, labeled the circulating accounts as false and misleading, emphasizing that no abduction actually occurred.
New findings showed that the scare started when some students, on their way to the school field for Physical and Health Education class, encountered armed hunters. Mistaking them for kidnappers, the students panicked and ran, causing fears of an attack. Their teachers later gathered and led them back to the school.
Nansel explained that the Police Commissioner, Shetima Jauro Mohammed, promptly sent a joint team of police and military personnel into the area after receiving a distress call. The team searched the nearby bush and confirmed the children only reacted out of fear.
He added that the pupils had seen some hunters carrying Dane guns and, frightened, fled, mistaking them for kidnappers. The area was thoroughly searched, and normalcy was quickly restored,” the police spokesperson stated.
School officials also confirmed the police account. The proprietor of St. Peter’s Foundation Secondary School was interviewed and verified that no student had been abducted and that the online reports were false.
Security agents continue to stay in the area to maintain peace and prevent any disturbances.
The police urged the public to ignore the earlier reports and advised journalists and media outlets to verify sensitive information before publishing to prevent unnecessary panic.
“The report is mere rumor unworthy of publication as factual news,” the statement concluded.
