The Oyo state police command says gunmen attacked the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) passport office in Ogbomoso on Tuesday, carting away a rifle, ammunition and other valuables.
In a statement on Wednesday, Ayanlade Olayinka, police spokesperson in Oyo, said the gunmen injured two immigration officers on duty during the attack.
Olayinka said the officer in charge of the passport office raised an alarm at about 8:45pm after armed men invaded the premises.
“Upon receipt of the distress report, immediate reinforcement comprising operatives of the Command Monitoring Unit and surveillance teams was deployed to the scene for intervention and assessment of the situation,” Olayinka said.
He said preliminary investigations revealed that about five assailants scaled the rear perimeter fence of the facility, which borders a vast bushland, before attacking two immigration officers on night duty.
The command spokesperson said the attackers beat the officers with sticks and other dangerous weapons before making away with a G3 rifle assigned to the office and its ammunition.
“The suspects also carted away a mobile phone belonging to one of the officers on duty, a generating set and a motorcycle battery before escaping through the same route used to gain access to the facility,” he said.
Olayinka added that the injured officers had received medical attention and were in stable condition.
He said surveillance and tactical teams had intensified operations in and around the area, including combing adjoining bushes and possible escape routes, to apprehend the perpetrators and recover the stolen items.
“Intelligence assets and informants have been activated to generate actionable information capable of leading to the arrest of the suspects, while all relevant investigative and operational resources have been deployed to ensure a swift breakthrough in the case,” he said.
The police spokesperson noted that the command is working with the NIS and other security agencies to ensure the arrest of those responsible for the attack.
He said Abimbola Olugbenga, commissioner of police in Oyo state, had directed all operational and intelligence units to deploy every available resource towards apprehending the attackers.
Olayinka also said the police commissioner and the NIS state comptroller had constituted a joint task team to strengthen coordination and enhance efforts aimed at tracking down those involved in the attack.
He said the police chief reassured residents of Ogbomoso and its environs of the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property and preventing criminal elements from gaining a foothold in the state.
The command also urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to the nearest police formation, assuring that information provided would be treated confidentially.
The development comes amid growing public concern over a rising wave of attacks across Oyo state.
Earlier today, gunmen abducted Olaide John-Paul, sister of Adebayo Adelabu, former minister of power, and her twin sons, Peter and Paul, in Ibadan, the state capital.
Since Monday, protests have erupted within and outside the state over the May 15 abduction of about 39 students and seven teachers from three schools in the Oriire axis of Ogbomoso.
