https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DuETFSxtg/The Ondo State Police Command has confirmed an attack on the Ipele Divisional Police Headquarters by suspected gunmen.
The incident was confirmed in a statement issued on Thursday, January 1, 2026, by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Abayomi Jimoh.
According to the police, the attack occurred at about 9:41 p.m. when a group of between 20 and 30 armed men stormed the police station, firing assault rifles and detonating explosives believed to be dynamite.
“The attackers set the station on fire, resulting in the destruction of the building and several police exhibits,” Jimoh said. “However, no casualty was recorded during the attack.”
He explained that a joint security team comprising personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, the military, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and other non-state security actors was immediately deployed to the area after distress information was received.
“Unfortunately, the assailants had already fled the scene before the arrival of the joint patrol,” the police spokesperson added.
The Command also dismissed reports circulating on social media claiming that a church was attacked during the incident.
“We wish to categorically state that no church or religious facility was attacked. Such reports are false and misleading,” Jimoh said.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, Adebowale Lawal, strongly condemned the attack, describing it as a deliberate attempt to undermine peace and security in the state.
“This is a tragic and reprehensible act. Attacks on security formations are attacks on the peace-loving people of Ondo State,” Lawal said. “We assure residents that the situation is firmly under control.”
The CP has ordered the immediate deployment of additional operational assets to the area, including Tactical Teams, Police Mobile Force personnel, and Explosive Ordnance Disposal–Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear units.
“A coordinated manhunt has been launched to track down and apprehend those responsible for this criminal act,” Lawal added, urging members of the public to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies by providing useful information.
The Police Command said further updates would be made available as investigations progress.
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