Lagos Govt, Police React To Reports Of Bandits Attack In State

The Lagos State Government and the Lagos State Police Command have dismissed reports claiming that bandits attacked parts of Lagos, including Eleko in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area and Imota.

Naija News reports that the authorities said the information spreading online was false and caused unnecessary fear among residents.

According to Leadership, rumours spread on Monday through social media messages that claimed armed attackers had entered communities in Eleko and even invaded a primary school in Imota, where it was alleged that pupils were harmed.

The claims quickly caused panic, and many parents rushed to schools in different areas to take their children home for safety.

Some parents said schools contacted them and asked them to pick up their children as a precaution after hearing the circulating reports.

This led to confusion in several communities, with pupils leaving school early and streets becoming crowded.

The situation became more tense after similar claims were repeated during a live radio call-in programme, where callers also said bandits had attacked a school in Imota.

The executive chairman of Imota Local Council Development Area later rejected the claims, stating that no attack happened in the area.

He explained that the information was not supported by any official security report and should not be taken as true.

He advised residents to ignore false messages and wait for confirmed updates from trusted sources.

A school head in Agbowa also clarified to Leadership that what triggered the panic was an accident and not any form of armed attack or security breach.

The radio station that aired the call-in reports later admitted that the information was not properly verified before being broadcast.

It apologized for the error and explained that it relied on caller information without confirmation from security agencies or community leaders.

The Lagos State Police Command also rejected the bandit attack claims, saying there was no confirmed incident in Eleko or Imota.

The police added that they would look into the origin of the viral messages and videos shared online.

Police spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, described the claims as false and said the command would investigate the origin of the viral videos and messages circulating online.

“We will analyse the video and make a comment”, Adebisi told the publication.