Police Dismiss Bandit Invasion Rumour in Ilorin
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Police Dismiss Bandit Invasion Rumour in Ilorin
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The Kwara State Police Command on Thursday dismissed reports of a purported bandit invasion in Oke-Oyi, Ilorin East Local Government Area of the state, describing the claim as false and misleading.
The command said panic erupted at Government Girls Secondary School, Oke-Oyi, after a woman allegedly ran into the school premises claiming that bandits had entered the community.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, the incident occurred around 9:15 a.m. and caused temporary disruption of academic activities as students and teachers fled in fear.
She explained that following the report, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Oke-Oyi Division immediately deployed personnel to the area to ascertain the situation and ensure the safety of residents, students and school staff.
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“Preliminary findings revealed that the alarm emanated from a woman who reportedly rushed into the school premises claiming that bandits had arrived in the area. The unverified claim triggered panic among students and teachers, resulting in a temporary disruption of academic activities,” the statement read.
The police, however, said investigations showed that the report was entirely unfounded, stressing that there was no bandit attack, sighting of suspected bandits, or any security breach in the community.
“The Command’s assessment of the situation confirmed that the report was entirely false and without any factual basis. There was no bandit attack, no sighting of bandits, and no security breach within the school or anywhere in Oke-Oyi community or Kwara State,” the statement added.
The Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, condemned the circulation of false security alerts, warning that the spread of unverified information could create fear, panic and public disorder.
Adekimi noted that such misinformation undermines public confidence and could divert security resources from responding to genuine emergencies.
The police chief disclosed that efforts had commenced to identify the individual responsible for raising the false alarm, adding that the person would be questioned and prosecuted in line with relevant laws if found culpable.
He urged residents to remain calm and avoid spreading rumours, while encouraging members of the public to verify security-related information through appropriate channels and report suspicious activities to the nearest police formation.
