The Ogun State Police Command has said there is no verified intelligence confirming reports of alleged bandit threats circulating in parts of Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun State, even as concerns continue to grow among residents and local security groups over possible attacks on rural communities and schools.
The Command said it had taken note of reports making rounds on social media and within some communities about alleged threat letters purportedly warning of planned kidnappings of schoolchildren, but stressed that such claims remain unsubstantiated.
In a statement issued on Friday by the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, the Command assured residents that it had not received any credible intelligence confirming imminent attacks in any part of the state.
However, the police said it has intensified intelligence gathering, surveillance operations, patrols, and strategic deployments across the state in collaboration with local hunters, vigilantes, and other security stakeholders to prevent any breakdown of law and order.
According to the Command, the visible deployment of officers across communities, prompt response to distress calls, and recent operational successes demonstrate its commitment to proactive and intelligence-led policing in safeguarding lives and property.
The statement further urged residents to remain calm and vigilant, warning against the spread of unverified information capable of causing unnecessary panic and fear within communities.
“Residents are advised to remain calm, vigilant, and refrain from circulating unverified reports that may create avoidable tension,” the Command stated.
Meanwhile, tension had earlier risen in parts of Odeda Local Government Area of Odeda Local Government Area following claims by local hunters that suspected armed groups had issued threat letters allegedly warning of planned mass kidnappings, including attacks on schoolchildren.
Chairman of the Hunters’ Association in the area, Festus Ogundairo, had raised the alarm during a radio programme in Abeokuta, alleging that communities had become increasingly anxious over reported insecurity and suspected movement of criminal elements within rural settlements.
He said the situation was worsened by a recent abduction of a petrol station manager in the area, who was later released after ransom was paid.
Ogundairo also claimed that residents were disturbed by alleged reports circulating on social media suggesting that armed groups had threatened coordinated attacks on specific towns and villages.
He called for stronger operational support for local security actors, insisting that they require additional logistics, including motorcycles and approved weapons, to effectively patrol forests and remote communities.
The hunters further urged closer collaboration with formal security agencies, warning that delayed response to rural threats could embolden criminal groups targeting schools and isolated settlements.
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