Hell was let loose in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Thursday as hoodlums successfully rescued two murder suspects from a police team that effected the arrest of the duo.
The Police Public Relations Officer for the state, Olugbenga Fadeyi, who confirmed the development, also said the hoodlums also attempted to burn Mapo police station in Ibadan.
He explained that a team of policemen were sent to arrest the two notorious miscreants at Odo-Osun area of Mapo
The two suspects, sources said, have been deeply involved in the crisis rocking Shogoye and Akobi areas of Mapo lately. Armed thugs from the two areas have been unleashing mayhem, causing grievous bodily arms and death of innocent citizens in the two areas.
During one of the crises on January 25, this year, police confirmed that an elderly woman in a white Celestial church cap known as Modupe Daramola, 60, of Celestial Church in Akobi area, was hit by pellets from a locally made gun. The pellets we’re reportedly fired by one of the hoodlums, during the clashes. The woman gave up the ghost, while some other ones sustained varying degrees of injury.
After the policeman had arrested the duoanf handcuffed them, they set for Mapo Divisional Police Headquarters. But on their way, one gang leader, identified as ‘Packaging’, according to the police, led abour 30 thugs to attack and mob the police team. They forcefully took the two miscreants from police team.
The police spokesperson said: “In a bid for the police personnel to escape from being lynched, a shot was fired to the air, while the police personnel managed to escape.”
Fadeyi stated further that later, a man, Akeem, went to Mapo police station in company of some angry miscreants, and said his younger brother was shot allegedly by the police. The miscreants attempted to attack Mapo Police Station, but they we’re repelled. But some cars, either parked at the junction that leads to the station or passing through the area were damaged by the hoodlums.
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.
However, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mrs. Ngozi Onadeko, has appealed to parents and guardians in the two areas to warn their wards to desist from acts capable of causing breakdown of law and order.
Meanwhile, in a bid to restore nomalcy to the area, security agencies, including the police, Operation Burst, and Amotekun Corps have been emplaced to forestall further crises.