The Kwara State Government has rejected circulating reports alleging that bandits have taken over nine out of the 16 local government areas in the state, calling the claim baseless, deceptive, and politically engineered.
In a statement released on Monday, the Senior Special Assistant on Communication to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Ibraheem Abdullateef, clarified that no part of Kwara had fallen to bandits contrary to trending claims on social media.
“The claim that nine out of 16 local government areas in Kwara are under the control of bandits is false. No single LGA has been taken. The Kwara State Police Command has refuted this, and no security agency has submitted any such report,” Abdullateef stated.
He noted that although there were isolated security incidents in certain parts of the state, particularly in the northern region, the matter had been blown out of proportion for political advantage.
“While there are reports of security challenges in a few communities, the state remains the safest and most peaceful in North Central Nigeria. The report is simply concocted,” he added.
Government blames opposition, reassures residents
The governor’s aide said the state government, in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser and other security agencies, was taking proactive measures to strengthen security in affected areas.
He accused the opposition, particularly the Public Relations Officer of the Kwara PDP, Olusegun Adewara, and some bloggers, of deliberately spreading misinformation to cause panic and score political points.
“Security is a sensitive matter and should not be politicised. We urge the PDP and its spokesperson to desist from spreading falsehood capable of undermining public confidence,” Abdullateef warned.
