The Nigeria Police Force has dismissed a viral video circulating on social media that falsely claims to show the torture of students and teachers abducted during the recent attack in Oyo State.

In a statement released on Friday, May 29, 2026, through its official communication channels, the Force Headquarters clarified that the footage did not originate from Nigeria and has no connection to the ongoing kidnapping incident in the South-West region.

The clarification comes amid growing online circulation of the graphic video, which shows blindfolded individuals being assaulted and was widely shared with captions suggesting it was linked to the abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State.

Police authorities described the claims as false and warned that the content was being deliberately misrepresented to inflame public tension and mislead citizens.

According to the statement, digital forensic analysis and verification by fact-checking partners established that the video predates the May 15 abduction in Oriire Local Government Area and had previously appeared in unrelated contexts outside Nigeria.

Security officials noted that the clip began circulating online weeks before the incident, particularly across various West and Central African digital platforms, before being recirculated with misleading captions.

“The Nigeria Police Force has noted that an old video from outside Nigeria is being falsely associated with the recent abduction of school children and teachers in Oyo State,” the statement said. “It is entirely unrelated to the incident and is being maliciously used to spread misinformation and panic.”

The police warned that the spread of unverified and graphic content could undermine ongoing rescue efforts and create additional distress for families of the victims.

Security experts also cautioned that misinformation during active operations can interfere with intelligence gathering, disrupt negotiations, and complicate field coordination between security agencies.

Authorities are currently conducting joint operations in forested areas across Oyo State and neighbouring regions as part of ongoing efforts to locate and rescue the abducted victims.

The Oyo State Police Command, alongside the state government, has urged the public to rely only on verified official updates and avoid sharing unconfirmed or sensitive material that could worsen public anxiety or jeopardize security operations.

Police reaffirmed that all necessary operational and intelligence resources remain fully deployed until the abducted students and teachers are safely rescued.