Osun:Two Civilians Killed, Two Policemen Injured As Gunmen Attack Police Patrol In Ikire

Two civilians were killed and two police officers seriously injured when suspected political thugs attacked a police patrol team along the Ibadan-Ife Expressway in Osun State on Monday.

The Osun State Police Command, in a statement by its spokesperson, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, said the incident occurred at about 11:00 a.m. when the patrol team attached to Ikire Division was responding to a distress call over the alleged abduction of a man identified as Sunkanmi.

According to the Command, the officers, who were accompanied by the Divisional Police Officer of Ikire Division, came under sudden attack from unidentified assailants who opened fire on them while they were inside their operational vehicle.

The police said the attackers succeeded in snatching an AK-47 rifle from the officers and subsequently used the stolen weapon to fire indiscriminately, killing two civilians.

The victims were identified as 49-year-old Nurení Sobowale of Odeda Area, Abeokuta, and 43-year-old Saheed Akinrole of Adeagbo Compound, Ikire.

The Command stated that “two police officers sustained serious injuries during the attack,” adding that the patrol vehicle was also forcefully taken away by the assailants before it was later abandoned and recovered with multiple bullet holes and a destroyed windscreen.

Nine expended ammunition shells were recovered at the scene and secured for forensic analysis, while the remains of the deceased were deposited at Oluyoro Catholic Mortuary and their families notified.

The injured officers, who initially received emergency treatment at a nearby hospital, were later referred to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, for advanced medical care.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Zungura, immediately visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment and directed a comprehensive investigation by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department.

Zungura also ordered the deployment of tactical and intelligence assets to the area to identify, track and apprehend those responsible, as the Command condemned what it described as “an unprovoked attack on police personnel and the senseless loss of innocent lives.” The police urged residents to remain calm and vigilant and appealed for credible information that could lead to the arrest of the perpetrators.