The Oyo State Police Command on Wednesday in Ibadan urged residents to desist from spreading false information capable of breaching the peace.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Olabisi Okuwobi-Ilobanafor, stated this in a press release issued to dispel the rumour that Boko Haram members had laid siege to the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
“The story that 18 suspected Boko Haram members operated on the highway with AK47 rifles, killing nine policemen and 11 civilians is untrue.
“There was an occurrence of a lone auto accident involving a trailer loaded with bags of wheat. FRSC officials, policemen and other security officers were only at the scene to control traffic and clear the gridlock,” she said.
Several social media and text messages had raised the alarm early on Wednesday morning causing great panic to both residents of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital and inhabitants of neighbouring communities along the ever-busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Our correspondent also gathered that while the rumoured attack lasted, both commercial and private vehicles virtually stayed away from the road to avoid been caught up in the presumed attack.
In a related development, the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Indabawa, said on Wednesday that there was a security report of an influx of foreigners into the state.
Indabawa, represented by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Clement Adoda, said this at a security meeting held with leaders of the Hausa, Fulani and Yoruba communities at the command’s headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan.
He urged the communities not to accommodate strangers as doing so could threaten security. “You should be vigilant and watch out for foreigners from Chad and the Republic of Niger,” he said.
The police boss also called for peaceful co-existence between farmers and Fulani herdsmen. “Herdsmen should stay off farmlands and where an infringement occurs; aggrieved farmers should seek redress through appropriate authorities,” he said.
In his remarks, Dr Haruna MaiYasin, the Sarkin Sasa Ibadan, promised to continue to work for the peace of the state.
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