The Kwara State Government has denied viral claims that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) disarmed vigilantes in Oke-Ode, Ifelodun Local Government Area, before gunmen struck on Sunday, killing at least 12 people and abducting several others.
A video circulating online had shown a grieving widow accusing the DSS of withdrawing weapons from local forest guards, which she claimed left the community vulnerable.
The woman lost her husband and brother brother-in-law in the attack.
However, in a statement on Tuesday, governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, dismissed the allegation as false, stressing that at no time did the DSS disarm vigilantes in any part of the state.
The clarification came as DSS operatives and Nigerian army troops killed several terrorists along the Kwara-Kogi border. Among those neutralised was a notorious kingpin identified as Maiwada, along with many of his fighters.
While sympathising with victims’ families, the government noted that the false narrative had demoralised security agencies. It urged residents to remain calm, united, and resist attempts by politicians or media outlets to exploit the crisis.
