KWARA GOVERNMENT DENIES ALLEGED ARREST OF BANDITS IN IFELODUN, CLARIFIES VIRAL VIDEO
Available information suggest the arrested is in Auchi, Edo State,
Maintains No State Government Has the Power to Arm Anyone with AK-47
The Kwara State Government has dismissed as misinformation claims circulating on social media that it supplied vehicles and AK-47 rifles to alleged bandits recently shown in a viral video being interrogated by the Nigerian Army.
Reacting to the reports, the state government issued an official clarification, firmly stating that no armed bandits were arrested by the Nigerian Army in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.
In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Communications, Mrs. Bolanle Olukoju, the government described the claims as false and misleading. “Contrary to the disinformation circulating on social media platforms, the Nigerian Army did not arrest any armed bandits in any part of Ifelodun Local Government Area,” the commissioner stated.
She explained that the government had carefully reviewed the viral video in which some suspects claimed they were in possession of a vehicle allegedly given to them by the “Ilorin Government” and weapons purportedly sourced “from Abuja.”
According to Olukoju, it is critical to clarify that the suspects shown in the video were neither arrested in Ifelodun nor anywhere within Kwara State
“No security agency, including the Nigerian Army, has reported any such arrests in Kwara State. Available information indicates that the suspects were arrested in Auchi, Edo State,” she said.
The commissioner added that the content of the video, as well as the circumstances surrounding the suspects’ claims, are currently under investigation, while the state awaits further official details for clarity.
She further stressed that no state government in Nigeria has the constitutional authority to arm individuals with prohibited firearms such as AK-47 rifles. She also noted that, contrary to widespread claims, the suspects did not state that the Kwara State Government provided them with weapons.
Providing additional clarification, Olukoju disclosed that the Ifelodun Local Government Authority had explained that the vehicle mentioned in the video was a security van originally assigned to vigilante groups deployed to support local security operations in Ifelodun. She added that the vigilantes have since exited the area.
According to her, the local government had on several occasions formally complained to relevant authorities over the failure of the vigilantes to return the vehicle to the council’s pool.
The commissioner emphasized that effectively combating banditry and other violent crimes requires strong coordination among security agencies. She therefore called for enhanced inter-agency collaboration, intelligence sharing, and operational synergy.
She also urged members of the public, particularly online media platforms and bloggers, to exercise restraint and professionalism by avoiding speculation, misrepresentation, or biased interpretation of unverified information while investigations are ongoing.
“The spread of misinformation and sensational reporting poses a serious threat to public peace and human safety,” she warned.
It will be recalled that Sahara Reporters and several online blogs recently published the viral video with headlines alleging that the Kwara State Government supplied vehicles and AK-47 rifles to bandits—claims based on misinterpretations of rough Pidgin and Hausa expressions used by the suspects during interrogation.
However, a careful and objective analysis of the interrogation never point to the government but rather suggests a more complex situation that should not be hastily politicised nor attributed to the Kwara State Government or its leadership but calling for the government to investigate.
The matter, the government insists, requires thorough investigation before being introduced into the arena of political debate.
Zionia