As Nigerians celebrate the nation’s 57th Independence Day, the Plateau Police Command has warned residents against spreading rumours that could cause tension, confusion and violence.
The Command’s spokesman, Mr Terna Tyopev, in a statement on Sunday in Jos, said that anyone caught spreading false rumours would face the full wrath of the law.
Tyopev, who recalled that wild rumours of violence caused a massive stampede leading to the death of two persons in Jos, two weeks ago, advised residents to verify every information before reacting to it.
“The social media is being used by bad elements to spread dangerous rumours; we want people to ignore or verify such rumours and report those spreading them to the police,” he said.
He said that the Command was ready to protect lives and property, and urged Plateau residents to be law abiding and promptly report any breach of the peace to security agencies.
Tyopev said that the Command had deployed enough officers and men to patrol all parts of the state “especially the flash and notorious points”.
He advised mischief makers planning to cause confusion in Plateau to steer clear of the state in their own interest.