Reported by: Agande Richard Aondofa | Edited by: Henry Owen
The Kwara State Government has strongly refuted circulating claims that nine local government areas in the state are currently under siege by bandits, describing the reports as entirely false and misleading.
In a statement issued by Bolanle Olukoju, Commissioner for Communications, the government warned against what it called “wicked escalation and fake news” being promoted by political opposition figures both within and outside the state.
According to the statement, while there have been isolated security challenges in a few areas, the situation does not justify the spread of alarming misinformation that could incite public fear.
“We have reasonable grounds to suspect that these elements are the online promoters and equivalence of bandits as they help to instill fear in the populace through fake news such as the unfounded claim of nine LGAs being under siege and movement of gunmen in parts of Asa LGA,” the statement read.
The Commissioner further expressed disappointment over the involvement of Mr. Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, accusing him of lending his verified social media handles to propagate the false claims.
“We regretfully observe that Mr. Peter Obi has lent his social media handles to spreading such fake news. This is not expected from him as a statesman. We request Mr. Peter Obi to bring down the post as it is totally false and inappropriate,” Olukoju added.
The government cautioned citizens to refrain from sharing unverified information, stressing that false reports not only create panic but also make the work of security agencies more difficult.
“This irresponsible behaviour is making things harder for the security forces who already have enough on their plates,” the statement concluded.
The report was obtained from a statement released by Bolanle Olukoju, Commissioner for Communications, Kwara State Government.
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