BY RITA OYIBOKA
The Delta State Police Command has refuted widespread social media claims that officers wrongfully arrested an innocent 11-year-old girl, clarifying that the minor was caught trafficking banned drugs for her mother.
In a video statement yesterday, the State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, said the viral post on X (formerly Twitter) sparked public outrage and sympathy based on false information.
“It is everywhere on blogs; people are condemning the police. That used to be the case in the past, but now the police have a voice on the internet. When you accuse us, we are now there to counter it and also bring facts that these people looking for cheap publicity don’t have,” he said.
During questioning, the child’s mother, 45-year-old Esther, admitted to sending her daughter, Rejoice, aged 11, to deliver drugs to “Yahoo boys.” The mother also confessed to using the drugs herself to sleep.
The drugs, which included Codeine and Tramadol, both controlled substances, were concealed inside a parcel.
When asked directly if she sent the child, Esther replied, “Yes, I sent her.” She reportedly sent her daughter to get the drugs from Jakpa Road, Warri, for N100,000, and admitted she had been in the illegal trade for “close to two years, almost three.”
Rejoice herself confirmed she was alone in a tricycle (keke) when the drugs were found in her possession. Shockingly, the girl could accurately identify the drugs by name: “Codeine,” “Tramadol,” “Swinol (Rohypnol),” and “black diamond,” which she claimed to have hidden in a bag at the back of the tricycle.
“My real concern is not even that she was found with drugs. My concern is: how can an 11-year-old be able to identify these drugs by their names? It is not right. That is why we must be careful about what we expose our children to,” SP Edafe remarked.
He also dismissed claims circulating online that the girl was unjustly arrested alongside male suspects, describing them as lies.
The police spokesman stressed the importance of setting the record straight before misinformation becomes accepted as fact, warning that some content creators often chase “cheap publicity” and “engagement” without regard for the truth.
SP Edafe displayed the recovered substances and urged the public to judge for themselves: “Please, look at these drugs again. This is what was found in the hands of an 11-year-old girl: Tramadol, Codeine… Judge for yourselves if this is right or wrong.”
He further charged parents to reflect on the dangers of exposing children to criminal activities, noting the serious social and legal consequences.
