Hoodlums ambush police in Osun, snatch rifle, patrol vehicle

From Lateef Dada, Osogbo

The Osun State Police Command has launched a full-scale manhunt for suspected hoodlums who ambushed a police patrol team along the Ibadan-Ife Expressway, snatching an AK-47 rifle and a patrol vehicle.

The attack, which occurred on Monday, left two civilians dead and two police officers seriously injured.

The incident happened at about 11am when officers attached to the Ikire Divisional Police Headquarters, led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), responded to a distress call over the alleged abduction of a man identified as Sunkanmi.

According to a statement issued yesterday by the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abiodun Ojelabi, the police team came under sudden and unprovoked attack upon arriving at the scene.

Ojelabi said the assailants opened fire on the officers while they were inside their operational vehicle and succeeded in snatching one of the AK-47 service rifles.

He said the hoodlums subsequently used the stolen weapon to shoot indiscriminately, resulting in the death of two civilians.

The victims were identified as 49-year-old Nureni Sobowale, from the Odeda area of Abeokuta, and 43-year-old Saheed Akinrole, of Adeagbo Compound, Ikire.

Their remains, according to the police, have been deposited at the Oluyoro Catholic Mortuary, while their families have been notified.

Ojelabi further disclosed that two police officers sustained serious injuries during the attack.

He said the injured officers were initially taken to a nearby medical facility for emergency treatment before being transferred to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, for further medical attention.

During the attack, the hoodlums also seized the patrol vehicle attached to the Ikire Division.

The vehicle was later recovered abandoned, with multiple bullet holes and a shattered windscreen, according to the police.

Investigators, the command said, recovered nine expended ammunition shells from the scene, which have been taken for forensic examination.

Following the attack, the newly deployed Commissioner of Police in Osun State, CP Ibrahim Zungura, visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment.

The CP ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident, with the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) directed to lead the probe.

The command also said tactical and intelligence assets had been deployed to track down and apprehend the fleeing suspects.

Condemning the attack, the Osun State Police Command urged residents to remain calm and vigilant, assuring them that security had been reinforced along the affected axis.

The command appealed to members of the public with credible information that could assist the investigation to report to the nearest police station or contact the command on 09060052947 or via email at [email protected].

The police assured residents that further updates would be provided as the investigation progresses.