Orire abduction: Police deny arrest of pastor, warns against spreading false narratives

Abdullateef Fowewe

The Oyo State Police Command has dismissed circulating reports that a pastor had been arrested for supplying arms to suspects involved in the abduction of students and teachers in Orire, calling the claims “entirely false, misleading, and unfounded.”

In a statement signed on Saturday by DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, Police Public Relations Officer, the command said the Facebook post that sparked the allegations did not name the cleric or provide an address and reiterated that “no such arrest has been made by the Police or any other known security agency involved in the ongoing rescue operation.”

The force said an investigation into the abduction remains active.

Describing the publication as “a deliberate attempt to distract security operatives from ongoing rescue efforts,” the police urged the public to “disregard the false report and rely only on official updates issued through verified channels of the Oyo State Police Command.”

The command warned that individuals and platforms spreading misinformation would face legal action, adding that it “will not hesitate to invoke all lawful means to identify, investigate, arrest, and prosecute anyone found culpable of disseminating misinformation capable of undermining public confidence and ongoing security operations.”

“The Oyo State Police Command reiterated its commitment to securing the safe return of the abducted victims and maintaining public safety across the state.”

For emergencies the public was directed to the Oyo State Call Response Center toll‑free line 615 and the Police Command Control Room numbers 08081768614 and 07055495413