‘One killed’, suspects freed as mob attacks police team in Ibadan

The Oyo police command says hoodlums attacked a team of officers drafted to arrest two suspects linked to attacks on residents in Odo-Osun area of Ibadan, the state capital.

In a statement on Thursday, Fadeyi Olugbenga, the command’s public relations officer, said the mob also attacked a police station in Mapo area of Ibadan, and destroyed some vehicles.

Fadeyi added that the mob later alleged that a shot fired by the police during the attack on the team in Odo-Osun killed a resident.

“The commissioner of police, Oyo state command, wishes to inform the general public of the incident that occurred earlier today, January 28, 2021 at about 1145hrs at Odo-Osun area of Mapo where police personnel 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,” the statement reads.

“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 and mob the police team, while forcefully taking the two miscreants from them.

“In a bid for the police personnel to escape being lynched, a shot was fired into the air while the police personnel managed to escape.”

According to the Fadeyi, a man identified as Akeem, in the company of some other persons, later stormed Mapo police station, saying his brother was shot.

The mob was also said to have attempted an attack on the station.

“The mob was repelled by police personnel who were strategically positioned to prevent the station from being attacked,” the police spokesman said.

“Not too long, at about 1350hrs, the corpse of one Badmus Rasheed, 20, was brought to the police station amidst the angry mob that was earlier repelled from attacking the station.”

The police spokesman, however, denied the claim that the resident was killed during the operation in Odo-Osun.

The PPRO, however, added that the thugs in the area were responsible for the killing of a 60-year-old woman on January 25.

“On January 25, 2021 at about 0600hrs, an elderly woman, Modupe Daramola, was hit with pellets from a locally-made gun fired by one of the hoodlums during clashes and gave up the ghost, while some other ones sustained varying degrees of injuries,” he added.