A 20-year-old woman who appeared in viral social media posts as a missing person following her kidnapping has denied the reports.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) announced in a statement Thursday evening that Clare Adindo Odhiambo arrived at the DCI offices in Kibra earlier in the day to clarify her location.
According to the DCI, Clare told police that, despite her photo appearing in viral TikTok posts, she was not the person being referred.
“Clare clarified that despite her photos being used, her name wasn’t Naomi, as alleged by the author of the misinformation, and that she had neither been abducted nor arrested by police,” DCI said.
According to social media posts, Clare was one of the social media influencers kidnapped for reportedly publishing objectionable content on their accounts.
The tweets claimed that she was abducted in Ruaka, a township within Kiambu County on the outskirts of Nairobi.
The reports spurred the birth of the hashtag #freenaomi, which has been trending on social media since Tuesday, with many people expressing concern over the country’s security and citizen safety.
The DCI stated that they are committed to thoroughly investigate any allegations of such crimes and holding those guilty accountable.
“The DCI wishes to clarify further that abduction and/or kidnapping is a serious crime punishable by law and the DCI does not condone any form of abductions or kidnappings as these actions violate fundamental human rights and undermine the rule of law,” the DCI said.
The police detectives stated that it is critical for the public to collaborate in reporting any suspicious activity to aid in the fight against crime and preserve all citizens’ rights.
Police, who have been on the receiving end of the growing abductions, have denied any involvement.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja stated that no police station in the country is currently holding any of the people who have been reported abducted.
“For avoidance of doubt, the National Police Service is not involved in any abduction, and there is no police station in the country that is holding the reported abductees,” he said.
Kanja encouraged Kenyans to avoid spreading false information on social media with the intention of harming the police’s reputation.
“Whereas Kenya is a democratic country that guarantees freedom of expression, freedom not only comes with certain limitations but should at all times be exercised with utmost responsibility,” the statement continued.
“We therefore appeal to the public to refrain from spreading false, fabricated, malicious, distasteful, misinformed, and unverified information aimed at tarnishing.”
