The Police in Osun State have arrested a 22-year-old man for spreading false information about a bandit invasion in the state.
This was revealed in a statement on Friday in Osogbo by the command's spokesperson, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi.
Ojelabi said the man was caught for sharing misleading content on social media. This act goes against Section 24 of the Cybercrimes Act, 2015, and other relevant laws.
The spokesperson explained that the suspect posted a video on his Facebook account on Monday. In the video, he falsely claimed that bandits had invaded Osun State.
The post caused panic among the people. Preliminary investigations showed that the video was misleading.
"The footage shared by the suspect actually showed members of the public restraining an individual with a mental illness," Ojelabi said.
Although the suspect was arrested on Wednesday, he was released later due to a passionate appeal from his elderly parents.
The spokesperson mentioned that the suspect has since apologized publicly and has been warned against repeating such actions.
Ojelabi said the Osun Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, warned the public against spreading unverified information that can cause fear or disturb public peace.
He also emphasized the command's strict stance on the misuse of digital platforms to spread harmful lies.
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