Parents in parts of Lagos State hurried to schools on Monday to collect their children following reports of a suspected bandit attack in communities around Eleko and Imota.
The panic spread across schools in Eleko, Ibeju-Lekki, after messages circulated alleging that bandits had entered the area. Some schools reportedly contacted parents and advised them to pick up their wards as a precaution.
However, school authorities, local government officials and the Lagos State Police Command dismissed the claims, describing them as false and unverified.
The alarm was further fuelled by claims aired during a radio call-in programme alleging that two schoolgirls had been killed by bandits in Imota. School officials later clarified that the incident was linked to an accident rather than a security breach.
Imota LCDA Chairman, Benson Ayodele, said there was no verified report of any such attack, warning residents against spreading misinformation capable of causing unnecessary panic.
The broadcast station later apologised for airing the claims without proper verification, while police spokesperson SP Abimbola Adebisi also dismissed reports of a bandit attack and said authorities would review circulating videos before providing further details.
