Panic over alleged bandits letter dropped in Osun public schools

There was panic across several towns in Osun State on Tuesday after suspected bandits allegedly dropped a letter at a public school.

The fear reportedly began in Ikirun, Ifelodun Local Government Area, and later spread to Obaagun, Iree, Eripa, Otan-Ayegbaju, and Ila-Orangun, before information reached Osogbo, the state capital.

In Ikirun, schools shut down immediately, with parents rushing to pick up their children. Students were seen running in fear on the roads as the situation intensified and later spread.

Community Secondary Grammar School, Obaagun, NUD in Iree, Kidvarc in Iree, Baptist High School, Iree, Eripa Grammar School, and some schools in Otan-Ayegbaju and Ila-Orangun sent their students home.

When the news later reached Osogbo, some private schools also called parents to come and take their children.

Separately, Engr. Olalekan Badmus, Executive Director, Marine and Operations at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), lamented that armoured vehicles had been withdrawn from strategic locations in Osun for over one year by Governor Ademola Adeleke’s government.

Badmus alleged the vehicles were taken out for “refurbishment” without explanation and could affect security responses against criminals.

Badmus argued that the continued “hoarding” of armoured vehicle services could hinder operations against attacks by bandits, kidnappers, and other armed criminals—especially as security issues are increasing.

Governor Adeleke, through his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, said the vehicles were not abandoned, claiming that the Oyetola administration left the armoured personnel carriers “to rot,” while his government refurbished and rehabilitated them for deployment.

He reassured residents that his government has secured schools and urged the public to ignore false alarms about school kidnappings, saying fact checks showed no case of kidnappings.

“The Oyetola administration inherited the APCs from the Aregbesola administration. The last administration however left them to rot. My government has rehabilitated them and the public will soon witness a new security plan to strengthen the security of lives and properties in Osun state,” Adeleke said.

The Osun State Police Command also reacted, describing the circulating reports as “false and misleading.”

The command warned against creating, publishing, and spreading fake security alerts, saying such reports could cause unnecessary panic and threaten public peace.

The police said security assessments and intelligence gathering did not substantiate the claims, citizens should verify information through official channels, and anyone spreading unverified information could be investigated and prosecuted.

Police urged residents to remain calm and report any suspicious activity to the nearest police station or security agencies. (The Sun