Parents in parts of Lagos State rushed to schools on Monday to pick up their children following reports of a suspected bandit attack in communities around Eleko and Imota, prompting authorities and the police to dismiss the claims as false.
The panic reportedly spread across schools in Eleko, Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area, after messages circulated alleging the presence of bandits in the area.
One parent whose children attend Davdan Nursery and Primary School, Eleko, told PUNCH correspondent that parents were contacted by school authorities and asked to pick up their wards.
“I was called from my children’s school that bandits are around Eleko and that we should pick up our children from school,” she said.
According to the parent who chose to remain anonymous, the directive affected several schools in the community.
“The directive was issued across the schools around this place, that schools should be closed and that parents should pick up their children. Children are all over the place now. They said all children should go home,” she added.
However, school authorities and government officials dismissed the reports, attributing the panic to misinformation.
The panic was also linked to claims made during a call-in programme on a broadcast station, alleging that two schoolgirls were killed by bandits at a primary school in Imota Local Council Development Area.
A headmaster at LG Nursery and Primary School, Agbowa, Odumeru Adekunle, told our correspondent that the alarm was triggered by an accident and not a security incident.
Meanwhile, the Executive Chairman of Imota LCDA, Benson Ayodele, in a statement, described the claim as false and unverified.
“We wish to state categorically that the information contained in the video is false, misleading, and entirely unfounded. There is no verified report, official record, or credible security information confirming the alleged incident within Imota LCDA,” the statement said.
The council warned that the spread of unverified reports could create unnecessary panic and urged residents to rely on credible sources and official security agencies for information on public safety.
The station later apologised for airing the report without verification.
“During our live phone-in segment, we received calls from listeners alleging that ‘Imota is on fire’ and that ‘bandits are in a public school’ with ‘two girls affected’. In the urgency to inform, the information was aired without full verification from security agencies and community leaders,” the station said.
The Lagos State Police Command also dismissed the claim. The command’s spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, described the alleged attack as “false.”
Reacting to viral videos circulating on the incident, the police said they would carry out appropriate investigations before issuing further details.
In a brief response to our correspondent, the PPRO said, “We will analyse the video and make a comment.”
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