The Lagos State Police Command has dismissed reports published on April 17, 2025, claiming that hundreds of Boko Haram suspects were apprehended in the state.
In a statement issued Friday, the command’s spokesperson, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, said the report was investigated at the directive of the Commissioner of Police, CP Olohundare Jimoh, and found to be entirely false.
“The outcome of the investigation reveals that there is nowhere throughout Lagos State that the group mentioned in the report – Boko Haram – were seen, sighted, or arrested,” he said.
He explained that even in the trailer park communities mentioned in the reports, local leaders, operators, and drivers confirmed no such individuals had been seen or arrested.
According to him, surveillance detectives, the State Intelligence Department (SID), and other police units were deployed to verify the claim, but no evidence supported the report.
“Therefore, the report in its entirety is false, malicious, and ill-intended to cause fear and apprehension in the minds of the public,” Hundeyin added.
He urged Lagos residents to disregard the report, describing it as “a figment of the imagination of the writer which was very unfortunate and despicable.”
The Commissioner of Police encouraged the public to go about their daily activities without fear and cautioned the media against publishing unverified stories that could incite panic.
“The writer of the story is advised to verify facts and truth of any information before going to the press,” he said.
The spokesperson reiterated the police’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property and urged the public to report any suspicious activity to the nearest police station or via the control room line: 08063299264.
(NAN)