IBADAN – The Oyo State Police Command has arrested two suspects, including a local clergyman, for allegedly manufacturing and circulating a viral WhatsApp audio message that falsely claimed heavily armed bandits had slaughtered six residents in the Ido Local Government Area.
The fabricated alarm, which spread rapidly across social media networks over the weekend, alleged that an active invasion was underway in the Lamini community. The disinformation sent shockwaves through neighboring towns, triggering mass panic and a temporary exodus of terrified residents fearing a security breach.
Immediate Tactical Deployment
Upon receiving reports of the viral audio, the Oyo State Command deployed heavily armed tactical teams and patrol units to Lamini and surrounding communities to neutralize any threat and secure the area.
However, a comprehensive, on-the-ground assessment by top security officials revealed that the community was entirely peaceful. No bandit attack had occurred, no infrastructure was damaged, and no casualties or injuries were recorded.
Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Monday evening, describing the report as entirely unfounded and malicious.
Forensic Trail Leads to Local Pastor
Following directives from the State Commissioner of Police, CP Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, operatives from the State Intelligence Department (SID) launched a digital forensic investigation to track the source of the broadcast.
The digital trail led detectives directly to Pastor Amos Joel Muyiwa, who was subsequently taken into custody.
”During interrogation, the suspect confessed to creating and amplifying the voice note without taking any steps to verify the authenticity of the claims,” DSP Olayinka stated.
Further interrogation and cyber-tracking revealed that the false tip-off originally emanated from a woman identified as Mulikat Bashiru. Security operatives subsequently tracked her down and placed her under arrest.
A Growing Pattern of Fake News
This incident occurs amid a worrying surge of digital misinformation targeting the security architecture of Oyo State. Just weeks prior, the command was forced to debunk an online rumor claiming that authorities had imposed a total movement curfew in Ibadan. Earlier in May, a US-based Nigerian medical doctor narrowly escaped being lynched by a mob in Ologuneru after false kidnapping allegations against him went viral on social media.
Expressing deep concern over the trend, CP Olugbenga warned that the deliberate weaponization of fake news, misinformation, and disinformation poses an existential threat to public order and diverts critical, limited law enforcement resources away from genuine emergencies.
The police command reiterated its zero-tolerance stance toward cyber-terrorism and the distribution of false data capable of causing civil unrest. Authorities confirmed that both suspects will face formal prosecution in court as soon as the State Intelligence Department concludes its wider investigation into other potential digital accomplices.
Residents are strongly urged to cross-check security-related updates through official, verified police communication channels before sharing them online.
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