FOLLOWING an attack on the Divisional Police Station in the Ipele community, Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State, the police command in the state has disclosed that the attack was carried out by 30 gunmen on New Year’s Eve.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Jimoh Abayomi, the gunmen, who were armed to the teeth, stormed the police facility with assault rifles and dynamite at about 10:00 pm.
The attack came a few days after the Commander of the Amotekun Corps in Ondo, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, revealed that over 35 suspected terrorists fleeing from the airstrikes in Sokoto State were apprehended in a forest in the state.
According to the police spokesperson, lives were lost during the attack, and the facility as well as exhibits were razed, with residents scampering for safety.
While describing the incident as a tragic act against the peace and security of the state, Abayomi urged the public to remain calm, assuring them that the situation is firmly under control.
The police spokesperson disclosed that the Command, alongside other sister security agencies in the state, had begun a manhunt for the attackers, who he stated fled the community after the attack.
“According to preliminary reports, at about 9:41 p.m., a group of armed men numbering between 20 and 30 invaded the police station, firing assault rifles and deploying dynamite. The attackers set the station ablaze, leading to the destruction of the building and several exhibits. However, no life was lost in the attack as of the time of this report.
“Consequently, the Commissioner of Police has ordered the immediate deployment of additional operational assets, including Tactical Teams, Explosive Ordnance Disposal–Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (EOD-CBRN) units, and Police Mobile Force personnel to the area while the situation is under control.”
