Enugu CP: Viral video of police officers refusing to rescue kidnap victims misleading

The Enugu police command says a viral video wherein officers declined to go after kidnappers, after a distress call from Eke-Ebe road in Udi LGA of the state, is misleading.

In a statement on Wednesday, Daniel Ndukwe, Enugu police spokesperson, said the officers were waiting for “necessary intelligence”.

In the video, the police officers were seen standing, with some of them walking round the location of the abduction.

Ndukwe said Kanayo Uzuegbu, commissioner of police in the state, has condemned the video, adding that it was an attempt to distract the officers from discharging their duties.

He said the police team deployed to the location of the abduction later rescued the victims after engaging the kidnappers in a gun battle.

“This is even when the police operatives had only arrived at the scene and were awaiting necessary intelligence-guidance before proceeding into the forest, to avoid any form of collateral damage,” he said.

The commissioner further described the allegations contained in the viral video as “an unfortunate act of mischief that is obviously aimed at maligning and distracting the police from frontally tackling and purging Enugu state of die-hard criminals and their activities”.

“The commissioner emphasizes that the video was without doubt a gimmick intended to misinform and mislead the public and the command will not waver in its quest to rid Enugu state of unrepentant criminals and their activities despite the mischievous distraction,” the statement adds.

The police spokesperson said the victims were kidnapped at about 4:55 pm and were rescued at about 6:15 pm on the same day.

“The immediate rescue is due to the team’s swift response upon receipt of information alleging that the victims, who were plying the road in two Mercedes Benz 4Matic Jeeps, were abducted and taken into the forest,” he added.

“However, further operations to hunt down the abductors are ongoing.”