Osun Police Arrest 22-Year-Old for False Bandit Claims

The Osun State Police Command arrested a 22-year-old man for allegedly spreading false information regarding a bandit invasion in the state. The arrest was confirmed in a statement issued on Friday by the command's spokesperson, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi.

The suspect was apprehended for disseminating misleading content on social media, which is an offense contrary to Section 24 of the Cybercrime Act 2015. He published a video on his Facebook account on Monday, falsely claiming that bandits had invaded Osun State.

This post triggered widespread panic among residents. Preliminary investigations revealed that the video actually showed individuals with mental health issues being restrained by members of the public.

Although the suspect was arrested on Wednesday, he was later released following an appeal from his parents. Ojelabi stated that the suspect issued a public apology and warned against repeating such actions.

Osun State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, cautioned the public against spreading unverifiable information that could incite fear and disrupt public peace, reiterating the command's zero-tolerance stance on the misuse of digital platforms to circulate harmful falsehoods.