There was panic in parts of Lagos State on Monday as parents rushed to schools to pick up their children following reports of a suspected bandit attack in communities around Eleko and Imota. However, government officials and the police have dismissed the reports, describing them as false and misleading.
The alarm reportedly spread across schools in Eleko, Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area, after messages circulated on social media claiming that bandits had entered the area.
One parent with children at Davdan Nursery and Primary School, Eleko, said school authorities contacted parents and asked them to pick up their wards as a precautionary measure.
“I was called from my children’s school that bandits were around Eleko and that we should come and pick up our children,” the parent said.
According to her, the directive affected several schools within the community, leading to the sudden closure of classes and the movement of pupils back home.
The panic was further fueled by claims made during a radio phone-in programme alleging that bandits had attacked a primary school in Imota Local Council Development Area and killed two schoolgirls.
However, school authorities and government officials quickly moved to calm fears, insisting that no such attack occurred.
The headmaster of LG Nursery and Primary School, Agbowa, Odumeru Adekunle, explained that the incident that sparked the rumours was actually an accident and not a security breach.
Also reacting, the Chairman of Imota LCDA, Benson Ayodele, described the reports as false and unverified.
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“We wish to state categorically that the information circulating is false, misleading and entirely unfounded. There is no verified report or credible security information confirming such an incident in Imota,” he said.
Ayodele urged residents to avoid spreading unconfirmed information and to rely on official sources for security updates.
The radio station that aired the claims later apologised, admitting that the information was broadcast without proper verification.
According to the station, callers had reported that “Imota was on fire” and that bandits had invaded a public school, but the claims were aired before being confirmed by security agencies or community leaders.
The Lagos State Police Command also dismissed the reports. The command’s spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, described the alleged attack as false and assured residents that the situation was being monitored.
She added that the police would review viral videos and other materials related to the incident before issuing further statements.
Authorities have urged residents to remain calm and avoid sharing unverified reports capable of causing unnecessary panic.
