Ibadan, the Oyo State capital was on Tuesday turned into a Mecca of
sorts as news filtered into town of a fish which suddenly turned into a
miniature mermaid but the state police command has dispelled the story
as untrue.It was reported that a middle-aged woman, identified as Ramota Salau, who sells both roasted and fried fish, had taken delivery of her stock of frozen fishes from the Gege area of town and was sorting them out when she suddenly raised the alarm that one of the fishes suddenly turned into what was called an ‘Omo Yemoja’ or mermaid.
The news soon spread like wild fire as hundreds of residents trooped to Akindele House, Isale Asaka, Foko, Ibadan, to catch a glimpse of the strange fish.
But the state Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Ndabawa, on Wednesday while addressing newsmen in his office in Ibadan, said the purported mermaid was a baby octopus, assuring the residents not to panic.
He said the rumour was given publicity on the internet insisting the object was an octopus and displayed it to Journalists present in his office to debunk the false reports.
He also said Ramota has been placed under protective custody for her safety and would be allowed to go home once tension within the town is doused.
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