Kwara govt denies arrest of bandits in Ifelodun, warns against misinformation

Kwara government describes the reports as false and capable of causing public panic.

The Kwara State Government has dismissed claims circulating on social media that the Nigerian Army arrested armed bandits in Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state, describing the reports as false and capable of causing public panic.

The Commissioner for Communications, Bolanle Olukoju, said the claims were “disinformation spreading on social media platforms,” stressing that “the Nigerian Army did not arrest any armed bandits in any part of Ifelodun.”

Ms Olukoju was reacting to a viral video in which some arrested individuals allegedly claimed they were in possession of a vehicle given to them by the “Ilorin Government” and weapons received “from Abuja.”

According to her, while the video and the circumstances surrounding the suspects are under investigation, it is important to clarify that the arrests did not take place in Kwara State.

“No security agency, including the Army, ever reported such arrests in Kwara. They were reportedly arrested in Auchi, Edo State,” she said, adding that further details were being awaited.

The commissioner also rejected insinuations that the Kwara State Government armed any group, noting that “no state government has the power to arm anyone with AK-47,” and that the individuals in the video did not claim they received weapons from the Kwara government.

She explained that the Ifelodun Local Government had clarified that a security van mentioned in the video was previously given to vigilantes deployed in the area to strengthen security, but that the vigilantes had since left.

The council, she added, had “repeatedly complained to relevant authorities that its van was not returned to its pool.”

Ms Olukoju urged security agencies to strengthen collaboration in the fight against insecurity.

“To win the war against banditry and other violent crimes, we urge enhanced interagency coordination, intelligence sharing, and cooperation amongst the security agencies,” she said.

She also cautioned bloggers against spreading unverified information, warning that “biased assimilation of information or misrepresenting things… poses existential threat to human life and public peace.”