Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Lagos State Police Command has dismissed as false and misleading a viral video circulating on social media that purportedly shows the recent arrest of some Fulani men in possession of arms and ammunition in the Ikorodu area of Lagos. In a statement issued on Sunday, 31 May 2026, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, clarified that the footage is an old recording from an incident that occurred more than three years ago and does not, in any way, reflect the current security situation in Ikorodu or any other part of Lagos State. The Command warned that the recirculation of the outdated clip as a fresh occurrence is capable of causing unnecessary panic, fear, and apprehension among residents, and urged members of the public to disregard the video and refrain from sharing unverified information that could undermine public confidence and peace.
SP Adebisi explained that the video, which has been widely shared on various social media platforms, shows the arrest of some Fulani men allegedly found in possession of arms and ammunition. However, the Command stressed that presenting the old footage as a recent development is misleading and could create a false impression of insecurity in the Ikorodu area. “The Lagos State Police Command wishes to state unequivocally that the video currently circulating on social media platforms depicting the arrest of some Fulani men allegedly found in possession of arms and ammunition in Ikorodu, Lagos State, is an old clip of an incident that occurred over three years ago and does not reflect the current security situation in Ikorodu or any part of Lagos State,” the statement read. The Command further cautioned social media users, bloggers, and content creators against disseminating false, unverified, and alarmist stories capable of causing public disorder, stressing that individuals found deliberately spreading misinformation or fake news would be investigated and prosecuted in accordance with extant laws.
While the video itself has not been independently dated, security analysts note that the use of outdated footage to stir ethnic tension has become a recurring tactic in Nigeria’s misinformation landscape. In a separate incident earlier in May 2026, a video claiming to show a terrorist invasion of Ibadan was traced to an ADF attack in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The pattern suggests that rather than representing isolated mischief, the weaponisation of old clips is becoming a coordinated disinformation strategy aimed at inflaming religious and ethnic divisions in the South‑West. The Ikorodu footage, regardless of its original context, is now being used to fuel fear precisely because of the real insecurity that Nigerians already face.
Amid the misinformation crisis, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Tijani Fatai, has directed the sustained deployment of police personnel and operational assets to strategic locations, identified black spots, and entry and exit points across the state. The security operation, which is being carried out in collaboration with other security and safety agencies, is aimed at enhancing the protection of lives and property and ensuring the continued safety of all residents and visitors in Lagos State. The Command reassured the public that adequate security measures have been put in place and that residents should go about their lawful activities without fear. It further appealed to members of the public to remain vigilant and to support security agencies by providing credible and timely information on suspicious persons, movements, and activities within their communities.
The Commissioner also warned that the command will not tolerate the spread of false information designed to cause panic. “Individuals found deliberately spreading misinformation or fake news will be investigated and prosecuted,” the statement reiterated. The warning comes as several similar false alarms have been recorded in recent weeks, including a rumour of a bandit attack in Oyo State that forced parents to withdraw children from schools, only for police to confirm the alarm was false.
CP Fatai has also stepped up the deployment of the Violent Crime Response Unit and the Rapid Response Squad along the Ikorodu corridor, parts of which have seen a rise in criminal activity in the past. On 8 May, the Special Intervention Squad of the Lagos Police Command had neutralised a five‑man kidnap and robbery syndicate at the Ikorodu end of the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway. On 23 April, police operatives acting on intelligence had stormed a suspected cultist hideout in Ikorodu, arresting six suspects and recovering one locally made pistol and a machete.
The Police Public Relations Officer also clarified that a separate video being shared online, which features armed men in military camouflage, bears no relation to Ikorodu. That footage, recorded years earlier in the Democratic Republic of Congo during an ADF attack, has been falsely captioned as a Fulani invasion of Ibadan. The Command has, therefore, urged Nigerians to verify all security‑related content before sharing, noting that in the age of viral misinformation, an old recording can be weaponised to serve a new and dangerous agenda.
As the investigation into the source of the recirculated Ikorodu video continues, the Lagos State Police Command has called on residents to remain calm and to continue their normal activities, while also cooperating with security agencies by providing actionable intelligence. The Command reiterated its commitment to protecting the lives and property of all citizens, regardless of ethnic or religious background, and warned that anyone found culpable of spreading false information would face the full weight of the law. Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police has ordered that the updated deployment be sustained, particularly in Ikorodu, where visible policing has been increased around markets, parks, places of worship, and other public spaces.
For the residents of Ikorodu, many of whom have lived through periods of genuine insecurity, the latest false alarm is a stark reminder that in the battle for public perception, a single old clip can be more destabilising than an actual crime. As one community leader remarked: “The harm this video does is not in what it shows, but in what it makes people believe is happening now.” The Lagos State Police Command has now made it clear that such false narratives will not be tolerated, and that those who spread them will be hunted down with the same determination as the criminals they claim to expose.
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