Oyo State Police Command has confirmed that some hoodlums attacked one of its stations along the new Oyo-Ogbomoso Expressway in the Atiba Local Government Area of the state, set ablaze newly refurbished patrol van.
The State Police Command Public Relations Officer, SP Adewale Osifeso, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, adding that the command would vehemently resist any kind of dehumanization of its personnel or attack on its facilities by sinister-minded individuals or groups.
“This is in furtherance of the unprovoked attack by lawless individuals, suspected to be hoodlums transiting along the new Oyo-Ogbomoso Expressway during the early hours of today, (yesterday).
“Preliminary investigation reveals that the suspected hoodlums after realizing they had been held up in the gridlock for a while, charged in their numbers towards the nearby Elete out-station over the perceived failure of the police to rid the traffic, completely setting ablaze a recently refurbished patrol van and vandalizing some parts of the building.
“Thankfully, they were resisted from breaking into the out-station by overwhelming support garnered from men on confidence-building patrols from nearby Police Divisions, including the Area Command.
“Consequent to the immediate response and resistance from the men of the command, no weapon was carted away nor any life lost. Five male suspects were arrested alongside two unregistered DAF and Volvo trucks taken as exhibits.
“The case has since been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Iyaganku to unravel other underlying sinister motives besides the suspects’ acclaimed ‘triggering gridlock issue,” Osifeso said.
