Osun Police Command have confirmed the killing of two police officers and two special constabularies and three locals on Wednesday in Ikire and Apomu towns in Osun State.
The incident occurred on Wednesday evening when the gunmen stormed the towns in an attempt to attack the banks there, the police force lost four officers in the gun duel.
They were said to have stormed the area in about five vehicles and attack the police station in Ikire, as well as an armoured vehicle at Ikoyi-Osun.
SP Yemisi Opalola, the Command Spokesperson, said in a statement on Thursday in Osogbo,said that efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspected armed robbers.
She gave the names of the police officers that lost their lives as ASP Osho Oluranti, Insp. Lekan Olalere, while the names of the two police special constables were Oladeni Olalekan and Oyedeji Muyideen.
Opalola also gave the names of the three civilians that were killed during the robbery as Toheeb Oyebola, Temilorun Adebiyi and one other male person, whose identity is yet to be made known.
She added, “The armed robbers numbering about 35 came in about five vehicles, simultaneously attacked Ikire Divisional Police HQ and the Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) pinned down at Ikoyi-Osun with several explosive devices and several gun firing in a bid to subdue the capacity of the police while attempting to rob First Bank Ikire and Access Bank Apomu respectively.”
She noted that as soon as the command was notified of the attack, a combined team of operatives of the Prompt Response Unit (PRU), CP’s Surveillance team, IRT, STS, 39 PMF, JTF, as well as local security outfits moved to the scene.
On their arrival, Opalola said the reinforcement team swiftly engaged the robbers in a fierce gun duel, forcing the assailants to flee.
“While escaping, they shot sporadically and regrettably, three civilians were shot namely; Toheeb Oyebola, Temilorun Adebiyi, and one other (whose identity is not yet known), all males,” she said.
The command’s spokesperson stated that the gunmen did not succeed in robbing any of the banks, adding that they fled into the bush with gunshot wounds and abandoned two of the operational vehicles they came with.
She said the bodies of the slain security personnel and locals have been deposited at a morgue in Apomu and effort was ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects
