Nigeria, Oct. 6 -- The Kwara State Government has dismissed as false and misleading an online report claiming that nine of the state's 16 local government areas have been taken over by bandits.

In a statement on Monday, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Communication, Ibraheem Abdullateef, said the report lacked credibility and did not reflect the true security situation in the state.

"The claim that nine local government areas in Kwara State are under the control of bandits is completely FALSE," Abdullateef stated. "No single LGA has been taken. The Kwara Police Command has refuted this, and no security agency has reported such an incident."

He described the viral report as "concocted misinformation" designed to create u...