The Lagos State Police Command has debunked a publication in some newspapers that thousands of Boko Haram suspects have been apprehended in Lagos.
The command’s spokesperson and a Chief Superintendent of Police, Benjamin Hundeyin, refuted this in a statement on Friday in Lagos.
He said that following the publication, the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Olohundare Jimoh, directed an immediate investigation into the report to ascertain the true position of the claim.
CSP Hundeyin said: “The outcome of the investigation reveals that there is nowhere throughout Lagos State that the group mentioned in the report – Boko Haram – were seen or sighted or arrested.
“Furthermore, in the trailer park communities mentioned, the leaders, operators, and drivers in the indicated places in the report clarified to the police that there were no such elements of Boko Haram seen or arrested in those localities.
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“The command, notwithstanding, deployed surveillance police detectives, the Lagos State Police Intelligence Department (SID), and other formations of the Force to the mentioned places for the purpose of verification of the claim.
“No one confirmed the presence or arrest of such group members as reported in the write-up throughout Lagos State.
“Therefore, the report in its entirety is false, malicious, and ill-intended to cause fear and apprehension in the minds of the public.”
Hundeyin enjoined residents to disregard and discountenance the write-up as untrue and a figment of the imagination of the writer, which he said was very unfortunate and despicable and should be outrightly ignored.
“Members of the public are encouraged by the Commissioner of Police to go about their duties and other means of livelihood without fear or apprehension,” he said.
The Police Public Relations Officer enjoined the media not to allow the use of their esteemed publications to incite fake news and outright falsehood that could jeopardise the peace and tranquility being enjoyed in the state.
“The writer of the story is advised to verify facts and truth of any information before going to the press,” he said.
The spokesperson assured residents of their safety and the police commitment to protection of lives and property in the state.
He encouraged residents to report any suspicious activities to the nearest police station or call the control room on 08063299264.
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