The Oyo State Police Command has arrested two persons in connection with the deliberate spread of a fabricated story alleging that armed bandits invaded Lamini Community in Ido Local Government Area of the state and killed six residents. 

The arrests, made following an intelligence-driven investigation supported by forensic analysis, mark one of the most direct actions by the command against the growing menace of security-related misinformation in Oyo State.

The incident began when a voice note making the rounds on WhatsApp and other social media platforms claimed that bandits had stormed Lamini Community and killed six persons. The audio spread rapidly across multiple platforms, generating widespread fear and panic among residents and triggering considerable tension in and around the affected area.

Upon receiving the report, the command wasted no time, immediately mobilising patrol and tactical teams to Lamini Community to verify the claim, reassure residents, and calm frayed nerves. After a thorough on-the-ground assessment, investigators conclusively established that no bandit attack had occurred and that no lives had been lost.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, subsequently directed the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Intelligence Department to launch a comprehensive investigation into the origin and circulation of the false voice note. The investigation traced the incriminating audio to Pastor Amos Joel Muyiwa, who was arrested and later admitted during interrogation to authoring and circulating the voice note without making any effort to verify its accuracy. Investigators further established that the false alarm had originally been triggered by one Mulikat Bashiru, who had first raised the unfounded claim within the community. Bashiru was subsequently identified, traced, and arrested.

Both suspects are currently cooperating with investigators as the command works to determine the full circumstances of the incident and identify any other individuals involved in the creation or spread of the false narrative.

The command used the occasion to deliver a sharp warning to the public, describing the deliberate circulation of fake security information as a serious threat not only to public order but to national security and peaceful coexistence. It noted that false reports of this nature divert critical security resources away from genuine emergencies, undermine public confidence in security agencies, and create openings for criminal elements to exploit the panic and confusion that misinformation generates. The statement further urged residents, social media users, bloggers, and community members to exercise restraint and responsibility in their use of communication platforms, stressing that anyone found deliberately originating or amplifying false information capable of causing public disorder would be investigated and prosecuted under the law.