There was confusion in parts of Lagos State on Monday after parents rushed to schools to pick up their children following reports of a suspected bandit attack in communities around Eleko and Imota. Authorities have since dismissed the claims as false.
The panic reportedly began in Eleko, Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area, after messages circulated online alleging that bandits had been sighted in the area, sparking fear among residents and school authorities.
A parent whose children attend Davdan Nursery and Primary School in Eleko said she was contacted by the school and asked to urgently pick up her 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.
The parent, who requested anonymity, added that the directive affected several schools in the community, causing widespread confusion.
“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 later clarified that the reports were based on misinformation.
The panic was also linked to a claim made during a radio phone-in programme alleging that two schoolgirls had been killed by bandits at a primary school in Imota Local Council Development Area.
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But a headmaster at LG Nursery and Primary School, Agbowa, Odumeru Adekunle, explained that the situation was triggered by an accident, not a security breach.
The Executive Chairman of Imota LCDA, Benson Ayodele, also dismissed the report in a statement, describing it 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 read.
The council urged residents to avoid spreading unverified information, warning that such reports could cause unnecessary panic and distress.
A local radio station involved in the broadcast later issued an apology, admitting that the report was aired without proper 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 confirmed that the claims were false. Police spokesperson SP Abimbola Adebisi described the alleged attack as untrue.
She said the command would review the circulating videos and take appropriate action, adding: “We will analyse the video and make a comment.”