The Edo State Police Command has arrested a 42-year-old man for allegedly spreading false information claiming that bandits had abducted schoolchildren in parts of the state, a report that triggered panic among residents before being officially debunked.
The suspect, identified as Ernest Ugbomoiko, was reportedly apprehended after circulating claims that schoolchildren were kidnapped in several communities including Afuze, Ehor, Otuo, Agbede, and Igueben.
According to the police, the allegations quickly spread through local networks and social media, causing fear and confusion among parents and school authorities. However, security operatives launched an immediate verification exercise and confirmed that no such abduction had taken place in any of the mentioned areas.
The spokesperson of the Edo State Police Command, ASP Eno Ikioedem, described the report as false and misleading, adding that it had the potential to disrupt public peace and create unnecessary tension across affected communities.
She noted that preliminary investigations revealed the suspect deliberately shared the unverified information without any evidence, thereby causing public alarm and diverting security attention.
The Commissioner of Police in Edo State, Monday Agbonika, assured residents that the state remains safe and that there was no record of any mass abduction of schoolchildren as circulated online.
He added that security deployment to schools and vulnerable locations across the state was part of routine preventive measures aimed at strengthening safety, and not in response to any confirmed kidnapping incident.
The police further warned residents against spreading unverified security-related information, stressing that misinformation could undermine ongoing security operations and endanger public order.
