Bandit Scare Triggers Panic in Lagos Communities, Police Debunk Reports

Parents in parts of Lagos State hurriedly withdrew their children from school on Monday 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 spread across schools in Eleko, located in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area, after messages circulated alleging that bandits had invaded the area.

A parent whose children attend Davdan Nursery and Primary School in Eleko said she received an urgent call from the school asking parents 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.

The parent, who requested anonymity, added that the directive affected several schools within the community.

“The instruction was issued across schools around this area. We were told schools should close immediately and that parents should take their children home. Children are all over the place now,” she said.

However, school authorities and government officials later dismissed the reports, attributing the development to misinformation.

The panic was further fuelled by claims made during a live phone-in programme on a broadcast station, where callers alleged that bandits had attacked a public school in Imota Local Council Development Area and killed two schoolgirls.

Reacting to the claims, the headmaster of LG Nursery and Primary School, Agbowa, Odumeru Adekunle, clarified that the incident being referenced was an accident and not a security breach.

Also, the Executive Chairman of Imota LCDA, Benson Ayodele, described the report as entirely 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,” Ayodele said in a statement.

He warned against the spread of unverified information, noting that such reports could create unnecessary fear among residents, and urged the public to rely on official channels for security-related updates.

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The broadcast station subsequently apologised for airing the claims 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 stated.

The Lagos State Police Command also dismissed the reports of a bandit attack.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, described the claim as false and assured residents that the police were reviewing videos circulating online in connection with the incident.

“We will analyse the video and make a comment,” Adebisi said.

Authorities have urged residents to remain calm and verify information through credible sources before sharing security-related reports.