The Kwara State Government has dismissed claims circulating on social media that the Nigerian Army arrested armed bandits in Ifelodun Local Government Area, describing the reports as misinformation.
In a statement issued late Sunday in Ilorin, the Commissioner for Communications, Mrs Bolanle Olukoju, said no security agency, including the Army, had reported any such arrest in any part of Kwara State.
“First, the Nigerian Army did not arrest any armed bandits in any part of Ifelodun,” the statement said.
Olukoju explained that government officials had reviewed the viral video in which some arrested individuals claimed they were operating with a vehicle allegedly provided by the “Ilorin Government” and weapons said to have been sourced “from Abuja.”
She clarified, however, that preliminary findings indicate the suspects were not arrested in Kwara State, but in Auchi, Edo State, adding that further details were still being awaited from security agencies.
“No security agency ever reported such arrests in Kwara. The individuals were reportedly arrested in Auchi, Edo State,” the statement noted.
The commissioner stressed that no state government has the authority to arm individuals with AK-47 rifles, adding that the suspects did not specifically state that the Kwara State Government supplied them with weapons.
Addressing the issue of the vehicle seen in the video, Olukoju said the Ifelodun Local Government Authority had earlier clarified that the van was officially assigned to vigilante operatives deployed to support security efforts in the area.
She added that the vigilantes had since withdrawn from Ifelodun, while the council had repeatedly complained to relevant authorities that the vehicle was not returned after their exit.
The state government urged the public and online media platforms to exercise restraint and avoid spreading unverified information that could heighten tension or undermine public peace.
“As security forces probe the development, we urge bloggers and online platforms to avoid misrepresentation, as biased information poses an existential threat to human life and public order,” the statement warned.
The government reiterated its call for enhanced inter-agency coordination, intelligence sharing and cooperation among security agencies to effectively combat banditry and violent crime.
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