Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Oyo State Police Command has officially debunked widespread rumours of a bandit attack in Ogbomoso and neighbouring Ajaawa Town, revealing that the panic that forced parents to withdraw children from schools and disrupted normal activities on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, was triggered by a false alarm originating from a birthday visit involving an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). In a press release issued late Tuesday evening, the command confirmed that normalcy had been fully restored across the affected communities and warned that individuals found deliberately spreading fake news would face prosecution. The incident, which began in the early hours of Tuesday and escalated rapidly through social media, exposed the raw nerves of a population still traumatised by the recent abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area just four days earlier.
According to the police statement, panic spread across parts of Ogbomoso and neighbouring communities, including Ajaawa Town, following rumours alleging that armed bandits had attacked the area and invaded the vicinity of Are-Ago High School in Ogbomoso. The rumour quickly gained traction, leading to scenes of chaos as parents rushed to schools to retrieve their children. The Oyo State Police Command, acting on the report, immediately deployed surveillance and patrol teams to the location to ascertain the true situation and prevent any breakdown of law and order. When operatives arrived at the school, they met with the school principal, Mrs. Akanbi Ruth, who explained that the alarm had originated from information allegedly circulated among some students who claimed that certain unfamiliar individuals had been sighted behind the school fence.
Preliminary investigation by the police revealed a far less sinister explanation. The individuals who had sparked the suspicion were identified as an officer of the NSCDC attached to the Kwara State Command in Ilorin, accompanied by two other civilians, all found in a Toyota Venza sport utility vehicle. The trio was questioned and explained that they had merely visited the lady among them in celebration of her birthday. In the course of verification, the police contacted relevant NSCDC authorities in Ogbomoso to confirm the identity and status of the officer involved, and the information was corroborated. However, an altercation reportedly occurred between some teachers and the visitors during the initial interaction, which inadvertently heightened suspicion within the school premises. Consequently, some students began spreading unverified claims to neighbouring schools and surrounding communities, thereby escalating panic and tension across parts of Ogbomoso and Ajaawa Town before the actual facts of the incident were established.
The Oyo State Police Command was categorical in its rebuttal. "There was no bandit attack, invasion, or any form of security breach in the affected areas as falsely portrayed," the statement read. In response to the situation, patrols and visibility policing around the affected communities were immediately intensified, while critical stakeholders were engaged to reassure residents and restore public confidence. The area is now peaceful, and normal academic, commercial, and social activities have since resumed, according to the command.
The false alarm came at a moment of heightened vulnerability for Oyo State. On Friday, May 15, 2026, armed bandits had successfully attacked three schools in Oriire Local Government Area, abducting more than 40 pupils and teachers, and beheading a mathematics teacher, Michael Oyedokun. The trauma of that attack has lingered deeply, with parents across the state on edge and willing to believe the worst at the slightest provocation. The Tuesday panic demonstrated how effectively misinformation can weaponise genuine fear, turning a birthday celebration into a city-wide emergency. The police command acknowledged that the fear generated by the recent abductions made the public particularly susceptible to alarming rumours, and it appealed for calm while also issuing a stern warning against the deliberate spread of fake news.
The command strongly warned that the dissemination of false information, particularly on security-related matters, has the potential to create avoidable chaos, disrupt socio-economic activities, and negatively affect the collective security efforts being sustained across the state. Members of the public, especially youths and social media users, were advised to refrain from forwarding or amplifying unconfirmed reports without proper verification from appropriate security agencies. The police further stated that individuals found deliberately peddling fake news or spreading false information intended to incite fear or public disorder would be investigated and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
This incident is not isolated in Nigeria's recent history. Across the country, fake news has triggered mass panic, mob violence, and even deaths. In 2022, unfounded rumours of a bandit attack in Kaduna led to a stampede that killed several children. In 2024, false reports of a planned bomb explosion in Abuja shut down the city centre for hours. Social media platforms, particularly WhatsApp and Facebook, have become breeding grounds for unverified information that spreads faster than official communication can counter. The Oyo State Police Command's rapid deployment and transparent debunking represent a model for crisis communication, but the underlying problem, a public conditioned by repeated real attacks to expect danger around every corner, remains unsolved.
For the NSCDC officer whose birthday visit inadvertently caused the panic, the incident may lead to internal disciplinary proceedings, though the police statement did not indicate any arrest or sanction. The officer was merely identified and his status verified. The real responsibility, according to the command, lies with those who amplified the rumour without checking facts. As night fell on Ogbomoso and Ajaawa on Tuesday, the streets were quiet, and schools prepared to reopen on Wednesday with heightened security. But the emotional toll of the false alarm, added to the genuine grief of the Oriire abductions, will not disappear overnight. Parents who withdrew their children in terror on Tuesday morning must now explain to those children that there was never any danger, a lesson that may be harder to teach than any arithmetic lesson lost during the hours of panic.
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