The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has arrested a man accused of making a disturbing social media post about fake security breach in Abuja, which triggered fear among residents and contributed to panic that led to the temporary closure of schools in parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and neighbouring Nasarawa State.
Presidential Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this on Thursday via his verified Facebook account, stating that the police action was intended to deter the spread of misinformation capable of causing public panic.
“The police have also arrested this Nigerian who made an alarming post about Abuja’s security, spreading fear among citizens. By arresting him, the police have sent the clear message that reckless users of social media won’t go scot free,” he wrote.
The development came amid heightened tension in parts of Nyanya, Abuja, and Mararaba in neighbouring Nasarawa State, where several schools were shut down on Thursday following reports of a suspected security threat that sparked panic among parents and school administrators.
In Mararaba, schools in the Aso A and Aso B areas reportedly suspended academic activities as parents rushed to evacuate their children. At Aso B, parents were seen arriving in large numbers at schools to pick up their wards.
Among the affected institutions were Henjodan Primary and Secondary School and Merit Gate Scholar Academy, both located close to each other.
Sources said the management of the schools directed students to return home after reports circulated alleging an attack on a school in Nyanya by suspected bandits.
One student of Henjodan Primary and Secondary School, who spoke to LEADERSHIP, said the school authorities acted swiftly after receiving the information.
“There was information that something happened in Nyanya, and we were asked to go home,” the student said.
However, as of press time, there was no official confirmation of any school attack or abduction linked to the reported incident.
Security agencies had earlier denied claims that schoolchildren were kidnapped in Nyanya, noting that investigations were ongoing and further details would be communicated.
LEADERSHIP reports that the arrest followed similar arrest of one Ifechukwu Dennis, the man identified as the originator of an AI-generated voice note that was widely circulated online as a leaked recording of President Bola Tinubu purportedly linking insecurity in the South-East region to the 2027 presidential election contest