Oyo police arrest two suspects over a viral false claim of a bandit attack in Ido LGA that triggered fear among residents

The Oyo State Police Command has arrested two suspects over the alleged circulation of false information claiming that bandits invaded Lamini Community in Ido Local Government Area and killed six residents.

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The Command said the claim, which spread through a viral voice note on WhatsApp and other social media platforms, caused widespread panic among residents before security operatives confirmed that no such attack had occurred.

In a statement issued on Monday, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, said the Command immediately deployed patrol and tactical teams to Lamini Community and surrounding areas to verify the report and reassure residents.

According to the police, investigations established that the alleged invasion and killings never took place.

“The purported bandit invasion and killing of six persons never occurred,” Olayinka stated, describing the report as entirely unfounded.

Following the development, the Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, ordered a full-scale investigation to identify those responsible for originating and spreading the false information.

The Command said intelligence gathering and forensic analysis traced the viral voice note to Amos Joel Muyiwa, who was subsequently arrested.

According to the police, the suspect admitted during questioning that he shared the message without first verifying its authenticity.

Investigators also arrested Mulikat Bashiru, who was alleged to have first raised the alarm within the community before the claim gained traction online.

The police warned that the deliberate spread of misinformation and disinformation poses a serious threat to public safety and security.

The Command noted that false reports can trigger unnecessary panic, undermine public confidence, disrupt economic and social activities, and divert security resources away from genuine emergencies.

It added that misinformation creates fear and confusion that could be exploited by criminal elements.

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The police urged residents to verify information through credible sources before sharing it and warned that individuals found responsible for spreading false information capable of causing public disorder would face prosecution in accordance with the law.