A violent protest has erupted in Ifon in Ose LGA of Ondo state over the alleged torture of a yet-to-be identified boy to death by the police.
Reports indicate that the crisis reportedly started after a fight broke out between two young men on Friday, which led to their arrest, after one of them reported the conflict to the police.
One of the arrested suspects reportedly died on Saturday, and the other hospitalised — after they were allegedly tortured by some police officers.
Angered by the development, the youths in the community protested the killing of the boy and invaded the police station, allegedly chasing away officers on duty.
A witness said the group who lost their friend razed the houses of the other group that reported the case to the police, before proceeding to the station to set it ablaze.
“One party went to the police station to report the incident, which led to the arrest of two members of the opposing group. These two arrested individuals were brutally tortured; unfortunately, one died in the cell yesterday morning, while the other was rushed to the hospital and still in coma,” the source said.
“The group that lost their friend and family member went berserk, reacted angrily by going to the home of the individual who reported them to the police, where they set the house ablaze.
“They then proceeded to the Ifon divisional police station, where they chased away all the officers, including the divisional police officer and set the station on fire.
“This morning, the group gathered again to protest. When a team of policemen was dispatched to restore order, they encountered the protesting youth and shot one of them.”
Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, the police spokesperson in the state, confirmed the incident, noting that further information would be communicated soon.
The police spokesperson added that Wilfred Afolabi, the Ondo commissioner of police, visited the scene of the incident to ensure that normalcy is restored in the area.
