Ondo Police react to viral video of bandits’ attack in Akure North

BY ADETOKUNBO ABIOLA

The Ondo State Police Command has debunked the authenticity of  a video that is currently alleging a bandit attack on a government grader at Obatedo community, also known as Ago Oyinbo, a community under Akure North Local Government Area.

DSP Abayomi Jimoh, the public relations officer of the command, debunked the insinuations through a press release distributed to journalists in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

According to him, preliminary findings revealed that the occurrence was allegedly linked to a local dispute between farm owners and the local authority, arising from disagreements over land allocation to prospective investors.

The destruction of the grader was therefore believed to be connected to this dispute rather than any form of armed banditry, said Abayomi.

In addition, he said based on thorough assessment and fact-finding, the command discovered that the video in question was not recent, as it dated back over a month and did not reflect the current security situation in the state.

Notably, no report of the incident was made at any police formation, which further underscored the misleading nature of the narrative being circulated, the police PRO said.

He said further information obtained from credible sources indicated that the incident was not a bandit or herdsmen attack as widely portrayed.

He therefore urged members of the public to disregard the misleading narrative suggesting a bandit or herdsmen attack, as it was inaccurate and capable of generating unnecessary fear and tension.

He reiterated the unwavering commitment of the command to safeguard lives and property across the state and encouraged the public to rely solely on verified and official sources for security-related information.