Panic As Hoodlums Attack Police Station In Lagos

There was panic in a part of Lagos State on Monday after hoodlums numbering over 100, attacked the Ipaja Police Station in the state.

Naija News understands the attack resulted in a gunfight between the hoodlums and Police operatives, during which several of the thugs who launched the attack were killed.

Residents were sent into panic as a result of the attack and resulting gunfight. However, at the time of filing this report, reinforcements of police operatives have been deployed to the area.

Spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident, saying the situation had been brought under control.

He disclosed that the attack was carried out by commercial motorcycle operators, popularly called Okada riders, after the Police enforced the ban on motorcycles in some areas of the state.

“Officers of Ipaja Police Division have successfully repelled an early morning attack on their division by motorcycle operators. The attack came after police officers commenced the day’s enforcement of the existing ban on motorcycles in Lagos State.”

“The attackers, who came in their hundreds, stormed the station with dangerous weapons, shooting at the officers and attempting to overrun the station. While officers and men of the division held their ground, reinforcement came from the Area Command and the Rapid Response Squad (RRS).

“Two of the attackers were fatally injured during the attack. However, this did not deter the officers from accomplishing their mandate as over two hundred motorcycles were impounded and some of the attackers arrested, with one locally made firearm retrieved.

“The Lagos State Police Command will not be cowed into abdicating its responsibilities of enforcement of all duly passed laws and maintenance of law and order within the society,” Hundeyin said in a statement.

In other news, at least 11 individuals were reportedly slain in a recent assault by bandits on Unguwar Lamido Village in the Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State.

Naija News learnt that armed with dangerous weapons, including AK-47 rifles, the criminals allegedly launched the attack on the evening of Saturday, May 25th, 2024, at approximately 10 pm.

In response to the incident, the police spokesperson, ASP Abubakar Sadiq, issued a statement stating that the police, in collaboration with local vigilantes, swiftly mobilized their forces and retaliated against the assailants.

The police command refuted claims that approximately 40 individuals were shot dead by the bandits, deeming such reports as misleading.

Expressing his condolences to the victims’ friends and families, the Commissioner of Police for Katsina State, CP A.A. Musa, strongly condemned the attack.

The police boss also ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident and deployed additional resources to ensure the apprehension of the culprits.