By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The Anambra State Police Command has arrested two persons over the alleged recording and circulation of a fake news and misleading video portraying some Umueri indigenes returning from their farms as armed men from Aguleri allegedly waiting to attack people from Umuoba-Anam in the now-subsided communal clash between Aguleri and Umuoba-Anam communities.
The State’s Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, who disclosed this in a statement issued to newsmen on Tuesday, October 27, said the suspects, identified as Chimezie Peter (aged 17) and Sunday Offordile, were arrested in the early hours of Monday, following community intervention and were subsequently handed over to the police for investigation.
According to him, the arrests were connected to alleged fake news and incitement capable of escalating the communal dispute involving Aguleri and Umuoba Anam and unnecessarily drawing the peaceful Umueri community into the crisis.
The Police Spokesman said preliminary information indicated that the suspects allegedly recorded video of some indigenes of Umueri who were lawfully returning from their farms, publicizing and portraying it with claims that the individuals were armed men from Aguleri who were allegedly lying in wait to attack and kill anyone from Umuoba-Anam passing through the route.
The Command said it was investigating the circumstances surrounding the recording and circulation of the video, including the authenticity, origin and intended purpose of the claims accompanying it.
Ikenga noted that the police were particularly concerned that the circulation of misleading information capable of misrepresenting events could provoke reprisals, heighten tensions among neighbouring communities and undermine ongoing efforts to restore peace.
The police spokesman added that the suspects had reportedly made statements relevant to the allegations during preliminary interrogation. However, he emphasised that investigations were still ongoing and that the full circumstances of the incident must be established before any definitive conclusion could be reached.
He said the suspects were transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Awka, for further investigation and necessary legal action.
In his reaction, the state’s Commissioner of Police, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, reiterated the Command’s commitment to protecting lives and property, maintaining public order and preventing the escalation of communal disputes through intelligence-led policing and collaboration with community stakeholders.
According to the statement, he also warned members of the public against recording, publishing or circulating unverified videos and provocative claims capable of misrepresenting events, inciting hostility or triggering violence between neighbouring communities.
The CP urged residents to verify information before sharing it and to report credible security concerns through appropriate channels rather than resorting to speculation and inflammatory publications.
The Command further appealed to the people of Aguleri, Umuoba Anam and Umueri to remain calm, exercise restraint and support ongoing peace initiatives, warning against taking the law into their own hands or engaging in retaliatory actions based on unverified information.
It also pledged to continue engaging traditional rulers, community leaders, vigilante groups and other relevant stakeholders to sustain peace and promote mutual understanding, while ensuring that anyone found culpable of criminal conduct would be dealt with in accordance with the law.
