Police dismiss bandit attack rumour in Kwara school, vows to arrest suspect

Abdullateef Fowewe

The Kwara State Police Command has dispelled alarming reports that bandits had invaded Government Girls Secondary School in Oke-Oyi.

The Command in a statement on Thursday noted that the claim that sparked panic across the community was false and without a factual basis.

At about 9:15 a.m., the command received calls of commotion at the school after a woman allegedly ran onto the premises shouting that bandits had arrived.

The Divisional Police Officer, Oke-Oyi Division, “promptly mobilised personnel to the scene to assess the situation and ensure the safety of students, staff, and residents,” the command said in a statement.

Preliminary findings by officers, however, “confirmed that the report was entirely false,” with no bandit attack, no sighting of suspects and no security breach in the school or the wider Oke-Oyi area, the statement added.

The unverified claim caused temporary disruption of academic activities as pupils and teachers fled in panic.

Kwara Commissioner of Police CP Ojo Adekimi, condemned the spread of the false alert, saying the dissemination of unverified information “undermines public confidence and may divert critical security resources from genuine emergencies.”

The command has launched efforts to identify the woman who raised the alarm; once found she “will be invited for questioning and made to face the full weight of the law” under provisions covering false information and conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace.

Residents were urged to “remain vigilant but calm” and to verify security-related reports through official channels, while promptly reporting suspicious activities to the nearest police formation.

The Kwara State Police Command reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding lives and property and assured the public that adequate security measures remain in place.