At least, two persons were on Thursday feared killed in Ibadan, Oyo State as hoodlums attacked a team of policemen who arrested two suspected thugs.
The two suspected hoodlums were said to have been shot by the police following the attack on Mapo Police Station as well as the team that effected the arrest of the hoodlums.
Oyo Reporters learnt that the arrested hoodlums were behind the recent violent clash in some area of Ibadan.
Some flashpoints within the city had been under the siege of hoodlums, who frequently engaged in gang wars and other violent activities.
It will be recalled that during one of the clash between two warring groups in Ibadan, on January 25, a 60-year old woman selling roasted plantain was felled by the pellets from the gun fired by one or the hoodlums.
The police team that went for the operation was said to have freed some suspects after arresting their kingpins around Odo-Osun area of Mapo on Thursday.
The policemen were said to have opened fire to prevent them from realizing their mission.
During the hoodlums’ attack on Mapo Police Station, some vehicles parked at the entrance of the station were said to have been damaged by the angry mob who protested against the killing of the victim.
The policemen were reported to have fired several shots to prevent the station from being attacked by the hoodlums.
On the two occasions one person each was allegedly felled by police bullets.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Oyo State Command, Mr Olugbenga Fadeyi, confirmed the attack on the police in a statement made available to journalists on Thursday.
The statement read in parts, “Today, 28th January, 2021 at about 11:45hours at Odo-Osun area of Mapo, policemen from Mapo Divisional Police Headquarters were deployed to effect the arrest of two notorious miscreants who have been deeply involved in the crisis rocking Shogoye/Akobi areas of Mapo lately.
“It can be recalled that armed thugs from Shogoye/Akobi areas have been unleashing mayhem, causing grievous hurts and deaths in innocent citizens in the two areas. On January 25, at about 0600hours an elderly woman in the white Celestian cap known as Modupe Daramola, aged 60 in Akobi area was hit with pellet from a locally made gun fired by one of the hoodlums during the clash and gave up the ghost while some other ones sustained varying degrees of injuries.
“Sequel to the arrest of the two notorious miscreants who were handcuffed, one A.K.A Packaging led some thugs numbering about 30 to attack the police team and forcefully took the two miscreants from them.
“In a bid for the policemen to escape being lynched, a shot was fired in the air while the policemen managed to escape.
“At about 1220hours, one Akeem ‘male,’ in company with some angry miscreants, invaded the police station to report that his younger brother was shot and the miscreants attempted to attack Mapo Police Station while some cars at the junction leading to the street of the station were damaged.
“The mob was thereafter repelled by policemen who were strategically positioned to prevent the station from being attacked. Not too long, at about 1350hours, the corpse of one Badmus Rasheed ‘male,’ 20years, was brought to the police station amidst the angry mob that was earlier repealed from attacking the station.”
The Commissioner of Police, Ngozi Onadeko, urged parents and guardians to warn their wards to desist from acts capable of causing breakdown of law and order adding that the police had deployed their men and security agents from sister agencies to safeguard lives and properties of residents.
