The Kwara State government has refuted claims that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) disarmed local vigilantes in Oke-Ode, Ifelodun Local Government Area, before a bandit attack that left 12 people dead on Sunday.
A viral video from the community showed a grieving woman alleging that the DSS had withdrawn weapons from vigilantes, leaving residents vulnerable.
She said her husband and his brother were among those killed in the assault, which also saw an unspecified number of people abducted.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Rafiu Ajakaye, described the allegation as false.
“There is no truth to the claim that DSS withdrew weapons from the forest guards at any time. The leadership of the forest guards has disputed this claim,” the statement read.
The government expressed sympathy to the bereaved but said the allegation risked undermining morale within security formations.
“We pray to God to console the bereaved woman — and every other one — but her claim is not true.
This clarification does not in any way delegitimise her grief,” the government noted.
The statement also warned against politicising insecurity. “Politicians do not miss opportunities to wrong-foot their opponents.
Average citizens who are concerned about all of us getting out of this crisis stronger and better as a community should not join such chit-chat.
It is not worth it.”It added that some media outlets, including Sahara Reporters, had used images unrelated to the attack.
“News media have used pictures from thousands of kilometres away to illustrate their stories… some have said we are in a state of war. It is their own way of saying it,” it said.
Meanwhile, security sources confirmed that DSS operatives and Nigerian Army troops killed several terrorists on the Kwara–Kogi border during operations on Monday.
Among those reported dead was a kingpin identified as Maiwada, along with several of his fighters.
The Kwara government urged residents to remain calm and united, assuring that authorities were working to restore security.
“We will get out of this stronger and safer,” the statement added.
