By Alpha Abu
Senior Police officers have given an insight into a widely circulated video on social media purporting to show a young girl being pulled by the hair, and accompanied by an audio in which a man’s voice could be heard demanding a ransom alongside threats of sexual assault and death.
About a week after the Police issued a statement dismissing claims of a potential kidnapping case, they have at a press briefing at their headquarters at George street in Freetown on Thursday 2021 explained it was nothing a mischief by the boyfriend of the girl in the video.
Director of Crime Services, Assistant Inspector General of Police William Sellu told journalists that after they located the girl and took her to the Police Station, her father almost collapsed when he was shown video of intense fondling involving the girl and her boyfriend connected to the fake kidnapping. They didn’t say what action they intend to take against the two individuals.
Police head of Media and Public Relations Officer, Assistant Commissioner Brima Kamara said it was annoying that they had to deploy resources in an apparent attempt to swoop on the perceived suspect(s) only for it to turn out a false alarm.
He said such a hoax portrays the country in a bad light and the whole incident unfair to the security forces and the state in general.
He said they had been inundated with calls from especially the media when the suspected “kidnapping” rumours broke, asserting that such a vice is alien to Sierra Leone and can never be tolerated.
The fake kidnapping video sparked fears and outrage across the country with calls for robust Police preparedness to nip in the bud what was viewed as a new and dangerous phenomenon that could cost human lives and undermine public safety and the stability of the state.
Copyright © Politico Online (05/10/21)
