Olohundare Jimoh, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, has said that reports that 30 suspected terrorists were apprehended in Lagos are not true.
According to The Nation, Jimoh denied the charges in a phone conversation yesterday and told people to ignore them completely.
The police chief said that these kinds of unproven reports would just make people in Lagos fear. He also said that no Boko Haram terrorist had ever been seen or caught in Lagos.
Jimoh said that people might have gotten the wrong idea about the arrest of 27 people by the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) during a raid in Lekki.
“The KAI (LAGESC) officials raided Lekki because they had heard about some shady people there.” They apprehended 26 people during the raid who were suspected of fraud and had no permanent address.
“The officials took the suspects, including youngsters, to their main office in Bolade Oshodi, where they were turned over to the police for more action.
“Those who were arrested had fake foreign money on them. “The suspects are also foreigners,” added CP Jimoh, who assured residents that the police and other agencies were doing everything they could to keep Lagos secure.
At the same time, LAGESC’s official X account, which is run by spokesman Lukman Ajayi, reported that 27 people were arrested for allegedly stealing oil and having fake naira notes.
It stated that the offenders were detained during an enforcement operation in Lekki and that they posed major threats to safety and the environment.
Ajayi stated, quoting Corps Marshal Major Olaniyi Cole (rtd), “We learned from intelligence reports how the activities of an unlicensed depot and oil bunkering enclave harmed the environment, which posed a threat to public health and safety.”
“The place also gave cover to criminals who had fake naira notes that they used to buy things at night from vendors who didn’t know they were fake.”
LAGESC reported that the facility was being used to store, mix, and distribute oil products. They also uncovered numerous drums full of diesel that they thought had been mixed with something else.
The Kogi State Police Command has also dismissed rumors that bandits have attacked towns in the state capital, Lokoja.
The command said the rumors were meant to scare people and cause panic in the state.
William Aya, the Chief Superintendent of Police and spokesman for the Command, claimed yesterday that there was no bandit invasion in the areas of Felele, Zango, and Crusher.
The command also said that it had sent tactical teams, such as the Police Mobile Force and counter-terrorism units, to important places in the state to protect people and property.
The Command told everyone to go about their business. It also told anybody who propagate false information that the police are ready to deal with them.
The Kogi State Police Command said in a statement, “There is no truth to rumors that bandits are invading the communities of Zango, Crusher, and Felele in Lokoja.” The narrative is “fake news” that is aimed to make people in the state feel bad for no reason.
“The Commissioner of Police, Naziru Bello Kankarofi, psc, mni, has told persons who are spreading tales of bandits invading to stop spreading false alarms that are making the decent people of the state scared and worried for no reason.
“Anyone who is found guilty of distributing false alerts will be arrested and charged with the crime.
“The CP reiterated that tactical forces, such as the Police Mobile Force and counter-terrorism units, will be sent to key places to make sure everyone is secure. People are being told to go about their everyday lives as usual and tell the police about anything that seems strange.
“Everyone is responsible for security, and everyone is asked to work together to keep the state safe.”
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