Debuns Police Rumors about the abduction of UTME students in IMO

The IMO State Police Command has rejected a broad report that suggests the abduction of 15 students from the prominent Scholar Empire Academy, Onitsha.

The order clarified that students were never kidnapped but were temporarily stranded due to mechanical disorders.

The students, accompanied by the owner of their school, his wife, and a driver, had departed from Onitsha on May 16 to sit for their Tertiary Tertiary Tertiary Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) at the Computer -Based Test Center (CBT) in the Okigwe State Zone. Concerns were appointed after they were reported missing during their trip, triggering fears of the possibility of kidnapping.

However, in a statement issued on Monday, Henry Okoye, a spokesman for the IMO State National Police Command, said the investigation revealed that students succeeded in writing their tests and faced vehicle problems on their way back to the State of Anambra.

“During their trip back, the school bus experienced a mechanical failure in the Amuro Okigwe area, where cellular network coverage was limited,” Okoye explained.

“This unexpected damage causes communication gaps, which causes speculation and baseless fear.”

The statement noted that once the police were told, the coordinated search was launched in collaboration with other security agents.

Students and school staff are found safe and then escorted to OowerRI, where the arrangement is made for vehicle repair.

“They continued their journey and safely returned to Onitsha on May 17, 2025, everything was in good health,” the spokesman added.

The IMO police command is grateful to the public for their concerns but urges residents to refrain from spreading information that is not verified, which can incite panic or divert attention from sincere security efforts.

“The safety of all residents and visitors to IMO remains our top priority,” he said.

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