The Kwara State Police Command on Thursday launched an investigation to identify the individual responsible for triggering panic in Oke-Oyi community after a false alarm alleging the presence of bandits disrupted activities at Government Girls Secondary School.
The incident, which occurred at about 9:15 a.m., triggered panic among students, teachers and residents after reports circulated that armed bandits had invaded the area.
The scare briefly interrupted academic activities before security operatives established that the claim was unfounded.
According to the commands spokesperson SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, officers from the Oke-Oyi Division responded immediately after receiving the distress report, deploying personnel to the school and surrounding areas to verify the information and guarantee the safety of residents.
Preliminary investigations traced the panic to “a woman who reportedly rushed into the school premises claiming that bandits had arrived in the area.”
Ejire-Adeyemi said the commands assessment found no evidence of any attack or security threat in the community.
He said, “There was no bandit attack, no sighting of bandits, and no security breach within the school or anywhere in Oke-Oyi community or Kwara State.
“The Command has commenced efforts to identify the individual responsible for raising the false alarm.
“The person, upon identification, will be invited for questioning and made to face the full weight of the law in accordance with extant legal provisions relating to the spread of false information and conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace.”
The Commissioner of Police, CP Ojo Adekimi, condemned the circulation of false security alerts, warning that misinformation on security matters could trigger unnecessary fear and disrupt public order.
He also stressed that the spread of unverified reports undermines public confidence in security agencies and diverts operational resources from genuine emergencies requiring urgent attention.
The Command urged residents to remain calm, verify security-related information through official channels before sharing it, and enhance cooperation with law enforcement agencies by reporting credible threats rather than spreading rumours capable of causing public panic.
