The Kwara State Government has refuted viral reports alleging that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) stripped vigilantes in Oke-Ode, Ifelodun Local Government Area, of their weapons before gunmen attacked on Sunday, killing no fewer than 12 people and abducting several others.
A viral video showed a bereaved widow accusing the DSS of seizing arms from local forest guards, which she claimed exposed the community to danger.
However, in a statement issued on Tuesday, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, described the allegation as baseless, insisting that at no time did DSS operatives withdraw weapons from vigilantes in any part of Kwara.
The clarification came as joint DSS personnel and Nigerian Army troops neutralised several terrorists along the Kwara-Kogi border. Those killed included a notorious kingpin identified as Maiwada and many of his fighters.
While condoling with families of the victims, the government stressed that such falsehoods had dampened the morale of security agencies.
It appealed to residents to stay calm, remain united, and resist attempts by politicians or sections of the media to exploit the tragedy.
