Abia State Police Command has denied kidnapping an Archbishop of the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star, Uka Uka Osim, his wife, son, and three other priests of the religious group saying that the report was misleading.
In a press release made available by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Maureen Chinaka on Sunday, it stated that a preliminary investigation on the abduction revealed that the incident didn’t happen in Abia State but in Anambra State on Wednesday, May 1, 2024.
The release further urged the media, bloggers, and online reporters to always crosscheck their facts by contacting the appropriate authorities before rushing to post
The statement reads, “The Abia State Police Command wishes to unequivocally refute misleading online reports alleging that gunmen on Wednesday, 01/05/2024, abducted an Archbishop of the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star, Uka Uka Osim, in Abia State.
On Saturday 04/05/2024, some online reports had quoted one Bishop Dennis Onuoha of the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star, as having stated that Archbishop Osim, his wife, son, and three other priests of the religious group were kidnapped in Abia while on their way to Anambra State.
Abia State Police Command has investigated the story, and contacted Bishop Dennis Onuoha, who denied stating that the incident occurred in Abia State. The Bishop confirmed that the kidnapping incident did not occur in Abia but rather in Awka, Anambra State, on Wednesday 1 May 2024.
To this end, the Commissioner of Police, Abia State Command, CP Kenechukwu Onwuemelie, PSC, FWC, MNIM, and FDC, urges the media, bloggers, and online reporters to always crosscheck their facts by contacting the appropriate authorities before rushing to post. The CP reiterated the Command’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that Abia State is safe for all and urges members of the public to go about their lawful businesses without fear.”
On Wednesday, May 1, Archbishop Uka Uka Osim of the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star, his wife, Anne Osim and his son, Roland Uka Osim, and other three clergymen Azuka Ochu, Moses Okafor and Anderson Akwazie were abducted by armed men while travelling to Awka, Anambra State.
According to Bishop Dennis Onuoha of the spiritual organisation in Abia State, BCS, thw abductors have yet to reach out to anyone. He called on security agencies to step in and save the clergymen from the hands of the kidnappers
“We are very worried but we are assured that the Almighty Father whom they worship and work for with total devotion will help them out”, he said.
