Rumors of kidnapping and bandit invasions are spreading in Nasarawa, disrupting economic activities
By Francis Nansak, Lafia
A rumour of kidnapping spread like wildfire in Gidan Zakara, Karu LGA of Nasarawa State, causing panic among parents and guardians.
The false alarm, which claimed that kidnappers were targeting pupils and students of Judea International Academy in the area, led to a chaotic scene as schools in the community shut down abruptly.
The rumour, which originated from a woman who rushed into a school premises claiming that kidnappers were about to invade, was later found to be baseless.
The woman, who was reportedly misled by her neighbour, had told the head teacher to release her children to her, sparking widespread panic.
According to eyewitnesses, the head teacher alerted staff members, who were preparing for their second report, and students were quickly ushered out of the school premises.
The panic spread to neighbouring schools, including Gora, Uke, and Auta Balefi, as students and teachers rushed to leave the area. In the chaos, some children sustained injuries while trying to escape.
A woman was seen crying uncontrollably, fearing that her three children were among those kidnapped. However, the police, who were contacted, confirmed that the information was false and that no kidnapping had occurred.
The police also revealed that the fake news peddlers who reported the rumour had been arrested and were being interrogated.
Meanwhile the principal of the Judea International Academy, name withheld explained that nothing as kidnapping or an intention targeted at kidnapping students and pupils of the school was recorded .
” This morning a woman rushed to the school and allegedly that kidnappers are around setting ablaze some houses in the community, so she should be allowed to evacuate her children from the school ,long before my noticed ,she and another woman half dressed with only wrapper tide to her chest rushed in with the same information and headed to the classes without slippers in her feet,this is how the news escalated and children were rushing out from the school” The principal said.
The incident has left the community in a state of shock, highlighting the dangers of spreading false information and the need for vigilance and verification before accepting rumours as fact.
Also , the chairman Karu Local Government Area, Barrister Abubakar Aliyu Madaki who rushed to the Judea International Academy also confirmed that the plan kidnapping of children in the school is false and that nothing as such happened.
Accompanied by the Uke Division Police Officer ,he cautioned the general public on false information dissemination and urged that any suspicious movement be reported to the police before taking action which often leads to panicking and at the end leaving others with injuries from attempting to escape a scene that is without substantial facts.
