The Kwara State Government has dismissed as false and misleading viral social media reports claiming that the Nigerian Army arrested armed bandits in Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state.
The government’s clarification comes on the heels of a video making the rounds on social media, in which some suspects allegedly arrested in Ifelodun claimed they were supplied with arms and a vehicle by the state government.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the Commissioner for Communications, Mrs Bola Olukoju, the government stated that no armed bandit was arrested by the Army or any other security agency in Ifelodun or any part of Kwara State.
“Kwara State Government wishes to clarify that the Nigerian Army did not arrest any armed bandit in Ifelodun Local Government Area of the State contrary to the disinformation spreading on social media platforms,” the statement said.
The commissioner noted that the government had reviewed the video, in which the suspects claimed to be in possession of a vehicle allegedly provided by the “Ilorin Government” and weapons obtained “from Abuja.”
She, however, clarified that the suspects were not arrested in Kwara State. “No security agency, including the Army, ever reported such arrests in Kwara. They were reportedly arrested in Auchi, Edo State. Further details are awaited for more clarity,” the statement added.
The government also emphasised that no state government has the authority to arm individuals with AK-47 rifles, adding that the suspects did not state in the video that the Kwara State Government gave them any weapons.
Providing further clarification, the statement said the Ifelodun Local Government Authority confirmed that the security van referenced in the video was originally provided to vigilantes deployed in the area to complement security efforts.
The vigilantes, it said, have since left Ifelodun, while the local government had repeatedly complained that the vehicle was not returned.
While investigations into the matter are ongoing, the state government called for improved inter-agency collaboration and intelligence sharing among security agencies to effectively tackle banditry and other violent crimes.