A 17-year-old girl named Jesse Chidiebere, a student at Imo State University (IMSU) has been taken into custody by the Imo State Police Command for feigning her kidnapping and death.
According to a press release from the command’s public relations officer, ASP Henry Okoye, her arrest was carried out by the Orji Police Divisional Headquarters on October 26, 2024, at 10 p.m., following a distress call from worried people who reported her missing. Her family and the university community were allegedly plunged into fear, causing public turmoil.
A WhatsApp message claiming she had been kidnapped and killed was sent from her account, the statement said, inviting her family to visit the Orji Police Station for verification.
According to Okoye, police officers responded to the distress call by searching, and the next morning, October 27, 2024, they found that Chidebere was still alive and had made up the tale as a practical joke on social media.
The police spokesman added that she will undoubtedly be charged with a crime and that an inquiry is being conducted to determine why she committed such mischief.
In response to the incident, CP Aboki Danjuma, the Commissioner of Police for Imo State Command, voiced his worry over the crime, calling it reckless behaviour that resulted in the loss of important resources and public fear.
Asserting that the command is still dedicated to battling false information and making sure that everyone in the state is secure, he asked parents to warn their kids against playing risky games/pranks and disseminating false information.