A civil society group under the aegis of New Initiative for Credible Leadership (NICreL) has decried the hoaxes about soldiers supposedly forcefully injecting school students and pupils with killer vaccines in Rivers and other Nigerian states.
The group alleged that Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike planted the story with the aim of rubbishing security apparatus in the state.
The group, while lamenting the untold distress the hoaxes have caused children and their parents alike, noted that none of those that have responded to the fake news has been able to tender credible evidence of anyone being forcefully vaccinated in any part of the country.
Rev. Steven Onwu, Executive Secretary of the group described the story as an act of causing terror to spread among the populace for cheap political scores with an institution that has sacrificed so much for the country.
The statement added, “NICreL condemns the hoaxes in the strongest terms as it is abominable to toy with vaccination, which is something that is sensitive to human life as information at our disposal indicted Rivers State Governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike and his spawns in the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as the brains behind the hoaxes particularly in Rivers State.”
“It has been further revealed that Mr. Wike facilitated fake Army uniforms that IPOB members are wearing to cause panic in schools.
“This situation has forced schools to shut down in several states as IPOB members dressed in military outfits pretend to force pupils to receive vaccination.
“This development is the actualization of threats by both IPOB and Mr. Wike on several occasions to rid the southeast and south-south of military and police presence to enable them pursue their stated secessionist agenda. The impersonation of the Army to terrorize citizens therefore appears geared towards reversing the gains of its Operation Python Dance II while frustrating Operation Crocodile Smile II as both have medical outreach that are not conducted in school environments. ”
“The impersonation of the military by members of a terrorist group is a mutation of the threats posed by IPOB and one that must be immediately countered. The hoaxes about the killer vaccination are being elaborately staged for propaganda value for now but it is a matter of time before these terrorists begin to actually inject children with biological agents. ”
We, therefore, call on the Nigerian Army to immediately investigate persons wearing its uniform to impersonate soldiers and terrorizing citizens with fake news about forceful vaccination with killer viruses. Anyone caught in this nefarious act should be dealt with in accordance with the law.
We urge the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and the National Assembly to call Mr Wike to order as his ambition is not worth plunging the country into crisis over whatever that ambition may be,” the statement added.
It further appealed to stakeholders to immediately make arrangements for counselors to attend to pupils that have been traumatized by these hoaxes since many of them have been made to experience the equivalent of war induced evacuations because of the indiscretions of a few misguided elements.
“Our hope is that both the IPOB terrorists and Mr Wike can begin to see that while their gimmick may seem to be working the children from their area are being destroyed while those yet unborn may become victims of vaccine-phobia that has been needlessly created for selfish political gains,” it added.
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