The Katsina State Police Command has refuted social media claims suggesting that residents of Safana Local Government Area and bandit groups were involved in a hostage-swap deal.
In a statement released on Friday, the command’s spokesperson, DSP Abubakar Aliyu, dismissed the reports, insisting they were fabricated.
“The Katsina State Command is aware of fake news making the rounds in social media,” he said.
He explained that the circulating posts alleged that “bandit groups and villagers in Safana Local Government, specifically in Babban Duhu, Sabon Birni, and Babanli villages, have engaged in the swapping of hostages.”
According to the reports, the supposed narrative was that “bandits kidnapped some villagers from the above-mentioned villages” and that “The villagers in turn abducted relatives of the bandits, forcing the bandits into a hostage swap,” he said.
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Aliyu stressed that police findings clearly show that “no such incident occurred in Babban Duhu, Sabon Birni, or Babanli.”
He emphasised that the rumours were entirely unfounded, stating that “the command, therefore, wishes to state in the strongest terms, that those rumours are baseless, false, and malicious.”
He added that after extensive checks involving intelligence gathering and engagement with local leaders, investigators found “no evidence of any hostage exchange between bandits and villagers in Babban Duhu, Sabon Birni, or Babanli.”
Aliyu cautioned that “The spread of such misinformation is dangerous, as it inflames public fear, erodes trust in institutions, and could endanger lives.”
He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to safeguarding residents and urged cooperation from the public in ongoing security efforts.
The spokesperson also appealed to citizens to stay calm, avoid spreading unverified claims, and promptly alert authorities with credible information through the emergency lines: 08156977777, 07072722539, or 09022209690.
