The Delta State Police Command has dismissed reports alleging a bandit invasion at the Girls’ Secondary School, Utagba-Ogbe in Kwale, describing the claim as “entirely false and misleading.”
In a statement issued on Monday by the Police Public Relations Officer, Bright Edafe, the command said the panic stemmed from misinformation circulated among students and was further fuelled by unverified online reports alleging community tension and supposed gunshots.
Edafe noted that upon receiving the reports, the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, ordered an immediate coordinated response. The Divisional Crime Officer of Kwale Division, Udofia Kufre, led a patrol team to the school for on-the-spot assessment and verification.
“The Vice Principal of the school and the security man on duty confirmed that no attack occurred. The panic emanated solely from misinformation among students,” the statement clarified.
The command further explained that adjoining schools in the Kwale area were also visited as a precautionary measure and were found to be safe, calm, and operating normally.
Parents who had rushed to pick up their children were urged to remain calm, as normalcy had since been restored.
“Parents who rushed to the school are advised to remain calm, as the earlier rumour has been decisively addressed and normalcy fully restored,” the statement added.
CP Abaniwonda, while warning against the spread of unverified rumours capable of disrupting academic activities or causing panic, reiterated the command’s resolve to respond swiftly to any credible threat and safeguard all educational institutions across the state.
He also advised school authorities to strengthen internal communication, promptly report suspicious activities to the nearest police station, and maintain steady collaboration with local security outfits to enhance monitoring around school environments.
The police clarification comes at a time of heightened national concern, following a rise in attacks on schools by suspected terrorists and bandits across the country.
Last Friday, 215 students and 12 teachers were abducted from St. Mary’s School in Papiri, Agwara LGA of Niger State, though 50 students escaped by Sunday.
Similarly, 26 schoolgirls were abducted four days earlier from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State.
In Kwara State, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq announced the release of 38 worshippers who were abducted during an attack on the Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Ekiti LGA.
— Ends