- Oyo police reacted to viral claims of a pastor’s arrest for supplying arms as completely false and misleading
- The police sent a message to Nigerians concerning social media claims regarding alleged gunrunning activities in Oriire
- Authorities commented on the consequences for spreading unverified information that undermines ongoing rescue operations
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering security matters and counter-insurgency in Nigeria and Africa.
Ibadan, Oyo state – The Oyo state police command has described as “false and misleading” viral reports that a pastor was arrested for supplying arms and ammunition to individuals involved in the abduction of students and teachers in Oriire.
In a statement issued on Saturday, June 27, Olayinka Ayanlade, the Oyo state police spokesperson, described the claim as “entirely false, misleading, and unfounded.” He urged Nigerians to disregard the report, calling it false and without any factual basis.
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Source: Facebook
Oriire: Police deny pastor’s arrest
Legit.ng reports that the claim, which stemmed from a Facebook post, did not mention the name or address of the said pastor. Social media posts claimed that the cleric was a gunrunner for the terrorists who abducted schoolchildren and teachers from Ahoro-Esiele and Yawota communities in Oriire local government area (LGA) of Oyo state.
But the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), through Ayanlade, has now quashed the claim.
The police statement read:
“The Command wishes to state that no such arrest has been made by the police or any other known security agency involved in the ongoing rescue operation, and investigation is ongoing.
“The Command views this publication as a deliberate attempt to distract security operatives from ongoing rescue efforts and to cast doubt on the integrity, commitment, and professionalism of personnel working tirelessly to ensure the safe return of the victims.”
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Furthermore, the police strongly warned that individuals and platforms involved in the deliberate spread of false information would be identified, investigated, arrested, and prosecuted, according to the Guardian.
The police’s official statement can be read in full below via the X post:
Concerns persist over Oyo abduction
It would be recalled that on May 15, assailants attacked three schools in the Oriire LGA in Oyo, abducting about 39 students and seven teachers. One tutor was killed during the attack on Friday, May 15.
Seyi Makinde, the governor of Oyo, blamed the attack on terrorists, saying the pressure on the terror groups in the north is pushing them southward.
Michael Onoja, the defence headquarters (DHQ) spokesperson, disclosed in a statement that JAS, the formal name for the group widely known as Boko Haram, carried out the mass abduction.
The crisis escalated days later when Michael Oyedokun, one of the abducted teachers, was brutally eliminated by the abductors.
In videos, Rachael Alamu, the principal of Community High School, Esiele, who is among the abductees, said the kidnappers had threatened to kill another victim, urging authorities to urgently negotiate their release.
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In mid-June, amid protests, Governor Makinde said he was willing to sacrifice himself if that would secure the release of the hostages.
Makinde stressed that the government will not negotiate with the abductors, warning that doing so would amount to surrendering the state’s authority to criminal groups.
The abducted Oyo students and teachers are still within Old Oyo National Park, according to authorities.
Read more Oyo state news:
Oyo: Makinde told to resign
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Oyo chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) criticised Governor Makinde over his remarks on the security situation in the state, calling for his resignation.
The Oyo APC described Makinde’s comments at a political event as a misrepresentation of the constitutional role of state governors in addressing insecurity in Nigeria.
In a statement by Olawale Sadare, its spokesperson, the party faulted Makinde’s claim that he is constrained in tackling insecurity because security agencies are under the control of the federal government.
Source: Legit.ng