The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested a 15-year-old student of Mary Hanney Secondary School, Oron, along with two others, for allegedly fabricating and circulating fake news in the state.
The secondary school student, Favour Emenyi, was apprehended alongside Lexis Christopher and Stephen Okwen, following actions the police said could cause public panic and disrupt peace in the state.
The arrests were disclosed in a statement yesterday by the Police Public Relations Officer, Timfon John, following a strategic security meeting convened by the Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Azare.
According to the statement, the trio were apprehended after police investigations linked them to the deliberate creation and spread of false information on social media.
The statement read in part: “The Commissioner condemned the rising circulation of fake news and misinformation, especially on social media, which has the potential to create panic and undermine the existing peace in the state. He has directed that persons involved in the deliberate spread of falsehood be identified and prosecuted.”
The command added that all the suspects will be prosecuted in court to serve as a deterrent to others who have been spreading fake news or harbor similar intentions.
Meanwhile, the CP reaffirmed the command’s commitment to keeping Akwa Ibom peaceful, urging residents to remain law-abiding and report suspicious activities promptly to security agencies.
