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Claim
Lere Olayinka, a media aide to the Minister of the Federal Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Monday posted a video on Facebook showing arrested kidnap suspects in Ogun State, Nigeria’s South-west.
In recent weeks, the region has been fast turning into the epicentre of insecurity after a series of attacks by terrorists in Oyo and Ondo States.
Over 30 students and teachers were abducted from a community school weeks ago in Oyo, with a male teacher in captivity later beheaded by the terrorists.
At the moment, concerns among Nigerians continue to grow as the students and teachers are yet to be either released or rescued by the security agencies.
The post by Olayinka
In the post by the aide to the FCT minister, Olayinka claimed that security operatives in Ogun State“ have arrested” a group of “suspected Igbo kidnappers” operating from forest areas.
According to the post, the suspects are accused of abducting residents and demanding ransom while using bush hideouts and allegedly blending into nearby communities to avoid detection.
“Investigations are ongoing as authorities work to establish full details of their operations and networks,” the post further read.
Wike’s aide did not clarify when the incident occurred. However, some comments under the post claimed that the parade of the kidnap suspects happened on Monday, 1 June.
A Facebook user, Seun Felious, for instance, argued in the comment section that the incident happened on 1 June.
Another user, Usman Kehinde Usman, also corroborated Felious’s claim, adding that he is a resident of Ogun State.
Verification
Verifying when this incident occurred, FACTWATCH Nigeria conducted a keyword search of the names of kidnap suspects on Google and found out that the suspects were arrested and paraded by the police in August 2024 and NOT recent.
Punch newspaper reported in 2024 that Ogun State Police Command said that it arrested a seven-man gang that specialised in kidnapping and killing their victims after collecting ransom from their loved ones.
According to the report, this group operates within Ijebu-Igbo and environs in the Ijebu North Local Government Area of the state.
It stated that two members of the gang, Chukwuma Bathlomew, aged 40 and Igwe Sunday, aged 42, were reportedly arrested and paraded in July of that year, while 31-year-old Ifeanyi Mathias, Anayo Simeon, aged 28, and Ayo Adedayo, 46, were arrested in August 2024.
Others were Chibueze Odah, 41, Ejiofor Nwali, aged 35, 22-year-old Eke Peter, Monday Paul, aged 24 and 37-year-old Chukwuma Zainab.
Then state Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, said that on 23 July 28, 2023, at about 1 a.m. in the Ojowo area of Ijebu-Igbo, the armed men invaded the house of one Raheem Azeez and robbed him and his wife, Raheem Afolashade, of their valuables.
Also check this report published by other Nigerian news websites in 2024 here and here.
Verdict
Olayinka shared the video clip from 2024 without clarifying when the incident happened amid the insecurity in the region, thereby raising more fears. Therefore, his post is MISLEADING.
Credit: FACTWATCH Nigeria
Pascal Arogorn Ibe
