The Police have declared as false reports of tribal killings and conflict in Rivers State, insisting that the state is safe.
The state police command was reacting to a viral video on social media which it said was old suggesting that there was a tribal crisis in the state.
The spokesperson for the command, Grace Iringe-Koko, stated this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt, the state capital on Saturday.
In the viral video seen by our correspondent, a man was bleeding profusely from what looked like a machete cut showing his inner organs.
Also, a voiceover of the said video which spoke the language of a particular tribe said the incident was the outcome of the bloodbath in the state.
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But the state command image maker said neither the video nor the voice notification was true, saying it was an old video where members of a cult group carried out an attack.
Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police described those reposting the video as mischievous elements trying to cause disunity among the various tribes living together peacefully in the state.
The statement reads, “The attention of the Rivers State Police Command has been drawn to a video message making rounds on social media platforms, especially on WhatsApp, about chaos in Rivers State.
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“The Command hereby debunks the story as false, baseless, and a calculated attempt to destroy the peaceful co-existence among different tribes in the state as nothing of such happened in Rivers State.
“It is pertinent to state that the video in question trended a few years ago and that the victim in the video was allegedly attacked by members of a rival cult group.
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The state Commissioner of Police, Okon Effiong, wishes to use this medium to warn those who use social media space to spread rumours capable of breaching the peace and harmonious existence in the state, to desist from such acts or be prepared to face the consequences of their actions.
“He has urged members of the public to go about their lawful endeavours and ignore the misleading video.
“It is uploaded by mischievous elements who have the intention of disturbing the peace in the state.”
It further said, “Rivers State is safe, and there is no killing of any tribe as speculated in the old video.
“While reiterating our commitment to sustaining peace in Rivers State, we call on members of the public to cooperate with security agencies in the fight against crime and criminality.”
