Two policemen have been killed and two others are missing after the attack on the Divisional Police Headquarters in the Ojoo area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Oyo, Fadeyi Olugbenga, confirmed this in a statement on Tuesday hours after the incident.
He said the police station was set ablaze at about 1pm by disgruntled criminals who allegedly hijacked the #EndSARS protests to unleash mayhem on police personnel.
According to him, the Commissioner of Police in Oyo, Joe Enwonwu, has condemned the attack on the police station.
“The Commissioner of Police wishes to state that the burning of the police station was premeditated as police personnel did not have any interference with the protesters neither were they disturbed in any way,” the command’s spokesman said.
Enwonwu, in his reaction, said the hoodlums have ulterior motives and capitalised on the opportunity of protests to carry out their evil intentions.
He stated that this led to the ‘coordinated attacks’ on police officers and innocent citizens, sending them to their early graves.
The police commissioner revealed that due to the attacks, some of the police AK 47 rifles have gone missing.
He, therefore, called on the people to be vigilant and immediately report any individual or group of people who were not police or military personnel, but seen with such rifles, to the nearest police station.
Enwonwu also appealed to them to be law-abiding and avoid the full wrath of the law from catching up with them.
He asked parents and guardians to warn their children and wards of the impending danger of going to the road.
The police commissioner, however, said the police, in partnership with Operation Burst of the Nigerian Army, were making effort to restore calm in the area and prevent further attacks.
