The Imo State Police Command has apprehended a 17-year-old Imo State University student, Jesse Chidiebere, after she staged her own abduction and claimed to have been killed, causing widespread panic among her family, friends, and the university community. According to a statement released by the police spokesperson, ASP Henry Okoye, Chidiebere’s arrest took place on October 26, 2024, following a distress call to the Orji Police Division reporting her disappearance.
The incident began when a message from Chidiebere’s WhatsApp account alleged that she had been kidnapped and subsequently murdered, instructing her family to visit the Orji Police Station for confirmation. Shocked and alarmed, her family and concerned citizens escalated the report, prompting a swift response from law enforcement officers who initiated a search operation.
By the following morning, October 27, 2024, police discovered that Chidiebere was alive and had orchestrated the entire scenario as a social media prank. According to ASP Okoye, an investigation is ongoing to uncover her motives, and Chidiebere is expected to face charges for her actions.
In response, Imo State Commissioner of Police, CP Aboki Danjuma, criticized the student’s behavior, highlighting the unnecessary public panic, waste of police resources, and distress caused to her loved ones. Danjuma advised parents to discourage their children from engaging in harmful pranks, emphasizing that such acts of misinformation will not be tolerated. He reassured the public of the command’s commitment to maintaining safety and combatting the spread of misleading information.
