The Ogun State Police Command has rubbished viral social media reports claiming armed bandits attacked schools in Ota, Ifo and other parts of the state, insisting the region remains safe and secure.
On Tuesday, police spokesman DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi said the recent arrest of 38 foreign nationals in Atan-Ota had nothing to do with banditry, kidnapping or terrorism, contrary to online claims that sparked panic across the state. The false reports sent parents and guardians rushing to schools, creating traffic gridlock on major roads including Idiroko road and Sango Roundabout as children were pulled out of classrooms.
"The Ogun State Police Command wishes to categorically assure the general public that the entire state remains safe, calm and secure," Babaseyi said. "There has been no bandit attack, kidnapping incident, terrorist activity or any form of security breach anywhere in Ogun State, including the areas mentioned in the reports currently circulating on social media."
Security operatives were deployed to the areas mentioned in the false reports to verify the claims and conduct patrols. The police's School Protection Squad, working with divisional officers, carried out comprehensive security checks at the schools named in the viral messages. All schools were found to be safe, secure and fully operational, with normal academic activities continuing throughout the day.
The panic spread rapidly through WhatsApp groups and other social media platforms on Monday, with unverified messages claiming attacks around Sango-Ota and its surrounding communities. Babaseyi expressed concern over how quickly misinformation had spread and urged residents to verify security reports through official police channels before sharing them.
On the arrest of the 38 foreign nationals, Babaseyi explained that an intelligence-led operation in Kajola-Ilese, Atan-Ota, led to the apprehension of 38 citizens of Côte d'Ivoire, comprising 19 males and 19 females aged between 25 and 35 years. The individuals were found in an apartment and could not produce valid immigration or travel documents during preliminary screening. They claimed to have entered Nigeria for online business activities.
"Upon conclusion of preliminary police procedures, they were duly handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service for further investigation and appropriate administrative action in line with extant immigration laws and protocols," Babaseyi said. He stressed that the operation recorded no link whatsoever with banditry, terrorism or violent crime. "At no time during the operation were bandits, kidnappers or terrorists arrested, nor was any security-related incident recorded in connection with the apprehension," he added.
Baraseyi warned that attempts to link the arrested foreign nationals to banditry or any violent criminal activity were entirely false and capable of creating unnecessary panic. The police command said officers remain fully deployed across the state conducting intelligence-led operations to maintain public safety.
