The Ogun State Police Command has clarified that the arrest of 38 nationals from Côte d'Ivoire in Atan-Ota was not connected to banditry or terrorism. Babaseyi Oluseyi, the command's public relations officer, stated on Tuesday that the individuals, 19 men and 19 women aged between 25 and 35, were apprehended during an intelligence-led operation in Kajola-Ilese. They were found in an apartment and could not produce valid immigration or travel documents. Oluseyi said the suspects claimed they entered Nigeria for online business activities. After preliminary police procedures, they were handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service for further investigation and administrative action. He emphasized that no bandits, kidnappers or terrorists were arrested, and any such claims were false and misleading. The operation was unrelated to security breaches in schools or communities in Ota, Ifo and surrounding areas, the command added. Social media reports alleging attacks in locations including Oluke Community High School, Sango Ota High School, Fadunsin, Agbado and Ifo were described as unfounded. Police patrols and the School Protection Squad conducted assessments and confirmed all named schools were safe, secure and operating normally. Students and staff completed their academic day without disruption, the statement said. Oluseyi expressed concern over the spread of unverified information, which he said created unnecessary tension. He noted that commercial, academic and social activities in the affected communities were progressing without threats to lives or property. This comes a week after police arrested Qawiyu Oloyede, a tailor, for creating and circulating a fake video showing a bandit invasion in Atan-Ota. Oloyede admitted the video was staged to gain followers on TikTok and other platforms. The false report triggered panic and heightened fears of insecurity. The police command warned the public against sharing unverified security information and urged verification through official channels. Residents were assured that police presence had been strengthened in the areas mentioned.
The police clarified that 38 Ivorians arrested in Atan-Ota were held for immigration violations, not banditry, yet the incident followed a tailor's arrest for faking a bandit attack video to gain social media followers. The same communities now cited as calm were thrown into panic days earlier by a fabricated video the police themselves had to debunk. While the suspects lacked valid documents, the ease with which false narratives spread exposes a deeper vulnerability — one that authorities have not yet addressed. The real threat may not be the detainees, but the unchecked power of viral lies to paralyse entire towns.
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