The Police Command in Oyo State on Tuesday confirmed the burning of the Ojoo Police Station by hoodlums who hijacked the EndSARS protest in Ibadan.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Olugbenga Fadeyi, while confirming the incident in a statement, said the attack was premeditated.
Fadeyi also confirmed the killing of two police officers, saying that two other officers were still missing.
An eyewitness had earlier told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that two civilians were shot dead by the police in the area when the protesters blocked the major roads linking Ojoo Roundabout.
According to the eyewitness, the police in an attempt to disperse the protesters fired shots with the bullet hitting the deceased.
“This prompted the protesters to attack the Ojoo Police station, burning it down,” said the eyewitness.
Fadeyi said the Commissioner of Police (CP) in the state, Nwachukwu Enwonwu, condemned the act of the suspected hoodlums for hijacking the EndSARS protests to unleash mayhem on police personnel.
The PPRO said the hoodlums, at about 1:00 p.m., set the station ablaze where two policemen killed and two others were still missing.
He said that the burning of the police station was premeditated as officers did not at any time disturb the protest in the area.
“The hoodlums had ulterior motives and capitalised on the opportunity of the protest to carry out their evil intentions, leading to sordid activities of hardened criminals carrying out coordinated attacks on law abiding police officers and innocent citizens, sending them to their early graves.
“The CP wishes to inform the good people of Oyo state and the general public that due to the attack, some Police AK 47 rifles were missing.
“He implored the people to be vigilant and report any individual or group who are not police officers or military personnel, but seen with such rifles to immediately report to the nearest police station.
“The CP further wishes to implore the people to be law abiding to avoid the full wrath of the law catching up with them and calls on parents or guardians to warn their children of the impending danger of going to the road,” Fadeyi said.
He, however, said that the Nigerian Army (Operation Burst) had been complementing efforts of the Police Mobile Force (PMF) to restore the situation to normalcy and prevent further break down of law and order.
