Suspected gunmen have attacked the Nigeria Immigration Service office in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, carting away a rifle, ammunition and other valuables.
The attack occurred on Tuesday night at the NIS facility located on the Ogbomoso, Ilorin Expressway, near the NNPC filling station.
Initial reports said the incident happened around 10 p.m., but the Oyo State Police Command later said preliminary information available to it showed that the attack occurred at about 8:45 p.m.
According to the police, the officer in charge of the facility raised the alarm after armed hoodlums invaded the premises.
The attackers, said to be about five in number, reportedly scaled the perimeter fence from the rear of the facility, which borders a large expanse of bushland.
They allegedly attacked two Immigration officers on night duty, assaulted them with sticks and other weapons, and dispossessed them of a G3 rifle assigned to the office, together with its ammunition.
The suspects also reportedly carted away a mobile phone belonging to one of the officers, a generating set and a motorcycle battery before escaping through the same route.
The incident caused panic among residents and people around the area, including those near the Ayanyan Cattle Market, where commercial activities were still ongoing at the time of the attack.
The exact number of weapons taken was initially unclear, but the police later confirmed that a G3 rifle and ammunition were stolen.
Earlier, the Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, said he had not been briefed on the incident.
“I have not been briefed on the incident at this time. I will provide updates as soon as the necessary information becomes available,” he said.
However, the command later announced that it had launched a comprehensive investigation into the raid.
Ayanlade said that upon receiving the distress report, the police immediately deployed reinforcements, including operatives of the command’s Monitoring Unit and surveillance teams, to the scene for intervention and assessment.
He said the injured Immigration officers had received medical attention and were in stable condition.
The command added that surveillance and tactical teams had intensified operations within and around the area, including combing adjoining bushes and likely escape routes in an effort to arrest the perpetrators and recover the stolen firearm and other valuables.
According to the police, intelligence assets and informants have also been activated to generate actionable information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects.
The command said it was working with the Nigeria Immigration Service and other sister security agencies to ensure the prompt arrest of those involved.
The Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, CP Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, has directed all relevant operational and intelligence units to deploy every available resource towards apprehending the attackers.
Ayanlade also disclosed that the police commissioner and the State Comptroller of the Nigeria Immigration Service had jointly constituted a collaborative task team to strengthen coordination and improve efforts to track the suspects.
The police assured residents of Ogbomoso and its environs that the command remained committed to protecting lives and property and preventing criminal elements from gaining a foothold in the state.
The command urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious persons or activities to the nearest police formation.
It added that useful information that could assist ongoing investigations may be communicated through the command’s emergency channels and would be treated with utmost confidentiality.
