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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Conflict & Security

Police debunk viral video alleging bandits presence in Ogun forest

From The Punch · (Apr 26) English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • The Ogun State Police Command has debunked a viral video claiming bandits are active in a forest within the state.
  • Police stated the footage is false, misleading, and recycled, originating from Kenya during an operation involving cattle rustlers.
  • The command reassured residents of its commitment to security and warned against spreading unverified information that could incite panic.

The Ogun State Police Command has firmly refuted claims circulating online about bandits operating within the state's forests, labeling a viral video as fabricated and misleading. This decisive action aims to quell public anxiety and prevent the spread of disinformation that could undermine trust in the security apparatus.

The video is false, misleading, and does not originate from Ogun State or any part of Nigeria.

— Ogun State Police CommandDebunking the viral video's claims.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, Oluseyi Babaseyi, the video in question was traced to Kenya, depicting an operation involving cattle rustlers and captured by a drone. The footage, first uploaded in 2022, has been deliberately recirculated with a false narrative, a tactic the police condemn as detrimental to public confidence.

The footage was recorded in Kenya during an operation involving cattle rustlers and was captured by a General Service Unit drone.

— Ogun State Police CommandExplaining the true origin of the viral video.

Commissioner of Police Bode Ojajuni emphasized that there is no intelligence to support any criminal presence in Ogun's forests. He reassured the public of the command's proactive and intelligence-led policing efforts, urging citizens to disregard the false video and refrain from sharing unverified information that could disrupt public peace. The police have warned that the spread of such content will not be tolerated.

The spread of unverified information is capable of causing unnecessary fear and undermining public confidence in security agencies.

— Commissioner of Police, Bode OjajuniCondemning the circulation of false content.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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