Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has ordered intensified security patrols across communities and forest areas of the state following a violent attack on Ipele-Owo in Owo Local Government Area.
The directive was issued on Thursday during an emergency security meeting in Akure, convened after gunmen attacked the agrarian community on Wednesday night, New Year’s Eve. The attackers reportedly set a police divisional station ablaze, firing sporadically and forcing residents and officers to flee.
Eyewitnesses said about 20 armed men stormed the town around 10 p.m., causing widespread panic as residents ran into nearby bushes for safety. No casualties were recorded during the incident.
Speaking after the meeting at the Government House, Aiyedatiwa said security agencies responded swiftly after he received reports of the attack. He confirmed that personnel from the police, Nigerian Army, Joint Operations Task Force, and the Amotekun Corps were deployed across the state to prevent further violence.
The governor stated that although the attackers breached security and discharged an explosive at the police station, no lives were lost, and the damage was limited to the facility. He added that officers affected by the attack had since rejoined patrol operations.
Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, dismissed reports of casualties and attacks on churches, describing such claims as false. He said investigations were ongoing to identify the perpetrators and assess any items looted from the police armoury, stressing that the incident could not yet be classified as a terrorist attack.
Lawal assured residents that Ondo State remains one of the safest in southern Nigeria and urged the public to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies.
