Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Kwara State Police Command has dismissed reports of a bandit invasion at Government Girls Secondary School, Oke-Oyi, describing the alarm as false and baseless, while vowing to prosecute the individual responsible for triggering panic that temporarily disrupted academic activities at the institution.
Panic broke out at the school around 9:15 a.m. on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, after a woman reportedly rushed into the premises claiming that bandits had arrived in the area, according to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, on Thursday, June 18. The claim triggered commotion among students and staff, prompting the Oke-Oyi Divisional Police Officer to mobilise personnel to the school.
Following an on‑the‑ground assessment, the command confirmed that there was no attack, no sighting of bandits, and no security breach in the school, the Oke‑Oyi community, or anywhere in Kwara State. Commissioner of Police Ojo Adekimi condemned the spread of false security alerts, stating that they create fear, undermine public confidence, and divert resources from genuine emergencies. “The dissemination of unverified information undermines public confidence and may cause public disorder,” CP Adekimi said.
The command said it has commenced efforts to identify the woman who raised the false alarm. She will be invited for questioning and prosecuted under laws relating to the spread of false information and conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace.
Residents were urged to remain calm, avoid spreading rumours, and verify security information through official channels.
The Oke‑Oyi incident is the latest in a series of false security alerts that have rattled communities across Kwara State. In May 2026, the command dismissed social media reports claiming that suspected Boko Haram members had been arrested in Ilorin. Weeks earlier, it debunked a viral message alleging the presence of kidnappers and robbers along Asa Dam Road in Ilorin. A separate intelligence report claiming that forest reserves in the state were being used as launching pads for bandit attacks was also dismissed by the police.
The repeated circulation of unverified security information has tested public confidence in official channels, even as residents of Kwara’s rural communities continue to face real threats. In June 2026 alone, bandits launched deadly attacks on communities in Isin and Ifelodun local government areas, killing at least one person and abducting scores of residents. In December 2025, over 40 gunmen stormed Owa‑Onire in Ifelodun LGA, killing a blacksmith and abducting several residents, accelerating an exodus that has turned the community into a near‑ghost town.
While the police have urged the public to rely on official information, many Nigerians remain sceptical of security agencies’ statements, citing past instances where official accounts have been contradicted by events on the ground. The command’s latest assurance that “adequate security measures remain in place” across the state has been met with cautious reactions from residents who have witnessed the steady spread of banditry into Kwara’s rural hinterlands.
For now, the police say they are committed to identifying and prosecuting the woman behind the Oke‑Oyi alarm, while urging residents to channel all security concerns through established channels. The incident serves as a reminder of the delicate balance between vigilance and panic in a region where real and rumoured threats increasingly blur together.
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