Ogun Police neutralize yet another false media hype over herdsmen attack

*Says story of community, 30 schools sack untrue

*Don’t stop here, pick reporter, giver of fake information for clarifications

*All schools in said area currently in session – Police, LCDA official

“What however we cannot tolerate is a situation where security agencies would allow the embers of hate these enemies of the government and Nigeria are fanning to fester before they act.  If the Ogun State Police Command is sure as it makes us to believe now that the story of farm acres of farm set on fire and a community and 30 schools attacked by herdsmen are fake and there is law now in Nigeria against fake news and hate speeches, the police should rise into action and get the publisher of the online medium, reporter/editor of the newspaper and leaders of the said community conniving with the press arrested, with a view to unraveling the perpetrators of these evils now happening in our beloved country as 2019 elections approach.  The Police should however involve the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) in these operations to avoid situation where the media will claim government is clamping down on the media,” he said.

The Ogun State Police Command has debunked yet another media report suspected to be a connival between a community and the press in the state, which, on Monday said herdsmen attacked the community with 30 schools sacked.

In a statement issued in Abeokuta by the state’s Police Publicity Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Abimbola Oyeyemi, early morning of Tuesday copy of which was sent to The DEFENDER, it was revealed that there was no incidence of any herdsmen attack talk less of a community and 30 schools were sacked, adding that all the schools in the said area had been confirmed the council education officer to be in session.

The statement read in full: “The attention of Ogun State Police Command has been drawn to a newspaper report about an alleged attack on some communities in Ketu Local Council Development Area of Ogun State where the report claimed that about 30 schools were sacked as a result of the said attack.

“In as much as the Command is not joining issue with the people of the said community, the public need to know the true situation of things along that axis.

“To start with, there is no report of any herdsmen attack in any community around that area in recent time talkless of sacking of 30 schools. Representatives of Ketu communities recently held meeting with the Commissioner of Police in his office where sundry issues relating to security of their areas was extensively discussed and they were assured of the Command readiness to protect their lives and properties at all times.

“Meanwhile all schools are currently in session. The Local Council Development Area Chairman of Ketu as well as the Education Officer have both attested to this and debunked that sinister insinuation.

“It is worthy of note that the Command is not unaware of farmers/herdsmen problem in the area and that is the reason why robust security arrangement has been put in place to checkmate any ugly incidence.

“Apart from the stakeholders forum which comprises of traditional rulers, security agencies, heads of Fulani herdsmen and other stakeholders living in the area put in place for solving any of such problem, teams of Policemen from our special units such as FSARS, PMF, Anti-Kidnapping, Anti-Cultist units as well as conventional Policemen have been deployed and they are embarking on intensive surveillance patrols and monitoring of the area.

“Just recently, three herdsmen were arrested in that area with 3 Ak49 assault rifles, pump action guns and about 200 rounds of ammunition given credence to our efforts to rid the area of crime and criminality of any kind.

“The Command therefore wish to call on all concerned to continue and sustain their confidence and trust in Police and partner with them as security is everybody’s business. Sending an unsubstantiated report to journalists and social media has grave security implications on our larger society and we should desist from such act in order to make our society safe, secured and better place for all to live,” PPRO Oyeyemi said in the statement.

The DEFENDER reported last week a rebuttal by the Ogun State Police Command of a farm of acres size reported by an online media (not The DEFENDER) was set on fire by some herdsmen, which the Police expressed surprise where the reporter got his “fake” story from.

A respondent, asked to comment on the latest, told our reporter Tuesday morning that the Ogun State Police as well as other Police Commands across the country should stop mere defensive but being proactive to the extent that any giver, writer and publisher of fake information capable of setting the just recovering Nigerian society against itself must henceforth be arrested, thoroughly investigated and prosecuted.

He however urged the security agencies too to ensure quick response to complaints to avoid future occurrence of herdsmen/farmers clash anywhere in Nigeria.

“I am only surprised that after Benue, the inventors of ‘killer herdsmen’ imbroglio have relocated to Ogun where they now invent unfounded occurrences of herdsmen burning farms, attacking communities, killing people and sacking scores of schools.  These are APC states and the reason is understandable.

“What however we cannot tolerate is a situation where security agencies would allow the embers of hate these enemies of the government and Nigeria are fanning to fester before they act.

“If the Ogun State Police Command is sure as it makes us to believe now that the story of farm acres of farm set on fire and a community and 30 schools attacked by herdsmen are fake and there is law now in Nigeria against fake news and hate speeches, the police should rise into action and get the publisher of the online medium, reporter/editor of the newspaper and leaders of the said community conniving with the press arrested, with a view to unraveling the perpetrators of these evils now happening in our beloved country as 2019 elections approach.

“The Police should however involve the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) in these operations to avoid situation where the media will claim government is clamping down on the media,” he said.