A police station was razed and set ablaze by angry youths in Ifon, the headquarters of the Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The youths reportedly chased away policemen at the divisional police station before setting the place ablaze.
Reports reveal that a violent clash had occurred between two different groups of youths on Valentine’s day which was Friday. One of the groups had involved the police and two members of the other group were arrested.
Unfortunately, one of the two arrested reportedly died from police torture while the other was being hospitalised.
This had angered some youths in the community who protested at the police station and allegedly chased away policemen on duty before setting the station ablaze.
It was gathered that the protest continued on Sunday morning, and this prompted the Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Wilfred Afolabi, to visit the town for an on-the-spot assessment of the crisis.
A spokesperson for the police in the state, Funmilayo Odunlami, in a statement, said:
“Preliminary reports indicate that the incident began on 15th February 2025 when a dispute between two families on Ogbomo Street, Ifon, escalated into a public fight. Officers from Ifon Division, led by an Inspector, responded promptly, moved to the scene, intervened, and made arrests while some suspects fled.”
“Later, one Tobi Bobade, one of the young men involved in the fight, was brought to the station by one Mr. Losilosi. He appeared weak and was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention. He was later pronounced dead while receiving treatment. His remains have been deposited at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, for a postmortem examination.”
“While officers were at the station, an angry mob, led by the deceased’s father, launched a violent attack on the station, the administrative office, DPOs office, the station store and two (2) exhibit vehicles were affected by the inferno caused by the mob.
“Fortunately, no lives were lost in the fire as security personnel acted swiftly and called for reinforcements to secure the premises.”
The police commissioner warned that such acts of lawlessness would not be tolerated in the state anymore, adding that the perpetrators would be brought to book.
The police authorities called for calm, appealing to the aggrieved parties to allow peace to reign.
“The Police Command urges members of the public to remain calm and refrain from taking the laws into their own hands. Investigations are ongoing, and further updates will be provided as the investigation progresses,” the statement concluded.
