By Desire Emmanuel
A TikTok content creator, who accused men of the Edo State Police Command of kidnapping and extorting money from her, has disclosed during her arrest that she raised the false alarm in order to get more followers on her TikTok page.
The lady, whose name is Omoyemen Osarobo, alias “Madam Oil Rice,” was arrested by the command for allegedly fabricating and circulating a false kidnap claim in Benin City, the state capital.
The lady posted a video that went viral where she claimed that she was abducted along the Upper Sakponba Road and extorted of money by police officers from Akpata Divisional Headquarters.
In a statement by the command on Saturday, after her arrest and during interrogation, she was said to have confessed that she staged the incident so as to boost engagement on her TikTok page.
“Investigations revealed that the entire story was completely fabricated and deliberate.
“During interrogation, she confessed that she staged the incident solely to generate online content and attract followers to her TikTok page,” the command said.
The command added that investigations also showed that the lady deleted an earlier video in which someone in the background urged viewers to follow her page, “clearly exposing the motive behind the false alarm”.
The command urged residents to avoid sharing unverified claims and warned against the increasing trend of using social media for sensational content at the expense of public safety.
“The Edo State Police Command strongly warns against the creation and circulation of fake news capable of disturbing the peace and security of the state. Members of the public are advised to verify information before sharing,” the command added.
