The Ondo State Police Command has intensified efforts to apprehend a gang of armed men who attacked the Ipele Divisional Police Headquarters on New Year’s Eve, setting the facility ablaze.
AFRIPOST learnt that between 20 and 30 suspected gunmen invaded the community on Wednesday evening, unleashing terror on the police station with assault rifles and explosives.
The Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, who condemned the assault in strong terms, described it as “a tragic and reprehensible act against the peace and security of Ondo State.”
Photographs obtained showed extensive damage to the facility, with a vehicle parked within the premises completely burnt and the building’s roof partially destroyed. Several exhibits were also lost to the inferno.
However, the command confirmed that no life was lost in the incident.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Abayomi Jimoh, in a statement posted on the command’s Facebook page on Thursday, dismissed social media reports claiming a church was attacked during the incident.
“The command wishes to clarify that, contrary to reports making the rounds on social media, no church was attacked during the incident,” Jimoh stated.
According to preliminary reports, the attackers struck at approximately 9:41 p.m., deploying dynamite and firing assault rifles indiscriminately before setting the station ablaze.
“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,” the spokesman said.
He added that a joint patrol team comprising police, military, Civil Defence personnel and other non-state actors mobilised to the scene immediately but arrived after the assailants had fled.
Lawal has ordered the immediate deployment of additional operational assets, including Tactical Teams, Explosive Ordnance Disposal–Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear units, as well as Police Mobile Force personnel to the area.
“A coordinated manhunt for the attackers is currently underway,” the police spokesman assured.
The CP urged residents to remain calm, assuring them that the situation was under control.