The Ogun State Police Command has dismissed a widely circulated video purporting to show bandits operating within a forest in the state, describing the footage as false, misleading, and deliberately recycled to incite panic.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Oluseyi Babaseyi, clarified that the video did not originate from Ogun State or anywhere in Nigeria.
“The video is false, misleading, and does not originate from Ogun State or any part of Nigeria,” the command stated, urging residents to disregard the claims attached to the footage.
According to the police, preliminary investigations revealed that the video was recorded in Kenya during an operation targeting cattle rustlers.
The footage was reportedly captured using a drone operated by the General Service Unit in that country.
The command further disclosed that the video first surfaced online in 2022 and has since been repeatedly recirculated with misleading narratives intended to create fear and confusion among the public.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, condemned the spread of the video, warning that the dissemination of unverified information could erode public trust in security agencies.
He noted that such content is capable of generating unnecessary anxiety and undermining ongoing security efforts across the state.
Ojajuni also dismissed claims suggesting the presence of criminal elements in Ogun forests, stating that there is no intelligence or operational report supporting such allegations.
He reassured residents that the police command remains proactive in safeguarding lives and property through intelligence-driven strategies, strategic deployments, and sustained operational vigilance.
The police reiterated their call for responsible information sharing, advising the public to avoid spreading unverified content that could disrupt public peace.
“The spread of false information and inciting content will not be tolerated,” the statement warned.
