The Police Command in Enugu State has refuted a viral video clip showing youths of Oduma Community in Aninri Local Government Area of the state chasing herdsmen away from the community.
The Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, SP Ebere Amaraizu, stated this in a statement and made available to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Thursday.
He said that the false and misleading social media video clip in circulation was captioned: “Enugu Youths Chase Out Herdsmen and Their Cows Back to North’’.
The police spokesman said that the false video clip was an attempt by mischief-makers to cause disaffection and disunity as well as promote hatred among the people.
The command said no such incident took place or recorded by it in any of the communities in the state as painstaking inquiries had been conducted.
“The Command further wishes to inform members of the public that the purported video clip is just the same video that was earlier circulated alleging the same incident at Nenwe in Aninri council area which is a nearby community to Oduma community.
“The Command, however, view the video clip as an attempt to cause disaffection, disunity and promote hatred among people of various ethnic backgrounds.
“The video clip in circulation is the handiwork of mischief makers who want to portray the law-abiding youths of the said Enugu community and the entire state in a bad light.
“To this end, the Command has enjoined law-abiding members of the public to disregard the mischievous video clip in circulation and go about their normal lawful businesses without fear or intimidation,’’ the police spokesman said.
He said that the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Suleiman Balarabe, had directed the police operatives to fish out those in the habit of circulating fake, misleading and concocted video clip aimed at promoting disunity.