The Rivers State Police Command has debunked reports claiming that the home of Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was attacked and set ablaze by hoodlums in Port Harcourt.
On Sunday night, there were reports that Wike’s residence was under siege and had been burnt by unidentified individuals.
However, in a statement issued on Monday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent Grace Iringe-Koko, described the reports as false and misleading.
Iringe-Koko stated: “The attention of the Rivers State Police Command has been drawn to a misleading and malicious report circulating on various online media platforms, falsely claiming that riots have erupted in Rivers State, leading to the burning of the residence of the former Governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, along with other acts of violence.”
She emphasized that the command had no record of such an incident and that the report was a deliberate attempt to incite unrest and spread fear.
“The Command categorically states that this report is entirely false, baseless, and a deliberate attempt by mischief makers to incite unrest and spread fear among law-abiding residents. There is no record of any such incident, and normalcy prevails across the state. The general public is urged to disregard these unfounded claims, which are clearly intended to cause panic and destabilize the relative peace and security enjoyed by the good people of Rivers State.”
Iringe-Koko further warned against the spread of false information, stating that those responsible for such acts would face legal consequences.
“Furthermore, the Police Command sternly warns those responsible for spreading such incendiary falsehoods to desist from engaging in activities capable of inciting public disorder. The full weight of the law will be brought to bear on individuals or groups found guilty of spreading misinformation or attempting to disrupt the peace in any form.”