By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The Anambra State Police Command has invited human rights activist and publisher, Mr. Harrison Gwamnishu, to appear before it and provide credible information regarding a widely circulated social media report he made concerning five persons alleged to have gone missing while transiting through Anambra State.
The Command, in an official statement released on Friday, May 23, 2025, by its Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, expressed concern over the gravity of the claim, which has sparked apprehension among members of the public and cast aspersions on the state’s security environment.
According to the statement, Mr. Gwamnishu had earlier made a post alleging that five individuals who were on transit and seeking accommodation in Anambra State had gone missing under unclear circumstances.
While the Command acknowledged the seriousness of such an incident, it noted that, since the publication of the report, no individual, family member, or acquaintance has come forward to identify the missing persons or corroborate the story. It also highlighted that the identity of the so-called victims remains unknown, even as Mr. Gwamnishu has failed to substantiate his claims with verifiable details.
The Police noted that, in response to the alarming report, it had earlier issued a press statement on May 22, 2025, calling on members of the public with useful information and on relatives of the alleged victims to visit the Command headquarters for appropriate investigation and intervention, if indeed such an incident occurred.
However, while Mr. Gwamnishu reportedly acknowledged the police invitation via a Facebook comment on the Command’s official handle, where he wrote: “Thank you. They are strangers and the family are on their way to the East. They will report today so your office can assist,” nothing further has been heard or received from him or any purported relatives of the victims since that time.
The Command lamented that all efforts to reach Mr. Gwamnishu or to get him to produce the relatives of the missing persons have so far been futile. It also noted that the continued silence and failure to follow up on such a sensitive matter has further complicated the situation, leaving the public in confusion and subjecting the Police and other security agencies to unjustified criticism.
According to the Command, the viral report has undermined public confidence in the state’s security architecture and dampened the spirit of collaborative security efforts that have been significantly responsible for the prevailing peace, order, and reduced crime rate in Anambra State. It warned that such unverified and unsubstantiated reports have the potential to cause unnecessary panic, create false impressions about the security situation, and erode the trust that Ndi Anambra have in the system.
Despite these developments, the Police assured the public that it remains firm in its commitment to safeguarding lives and property in the state, and will continue to strengthen its crime prevention strategies, while maintaining law and order. The Command also reaffirmed its openness to public cooperation and urged anyone with useful information on the alleged incident to come forward, even as it reiterated its call for Mr. Gwamnishu to appear and assist the Police with necessary facts.
Personal efforts by this reporter, Izunna Okafor, to contact Mr. Gwamnishu for further clarifications, proved abortive, as he was yet to respond to his call as at the time of this publication.
