Amidst the crisis between the Nigerian Prisons Service, and commercial motorcyclists in Ibadan yesterday, hoodlums burnt down two police stations and vandalised another one at the Agodi Gate area of Oyo State.
This followed a clash between officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service, formerly Nigerian Prisons Service, and commercial motorcyclists otherwise called Okada riders at the Agodi Gate Bus Stop, Ibadan.
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Several people were reportedly injured in the melee. Witnesses said violence erupted when some officers of the Correctional Service instructed the Okada riders plying the Iwo- Road and Bashorun-Akobo Road not to pack opposite the prison yard any longer.
There were reported sporadic gunshots as residents scampered for safety New Telegraph learnt that the hoodlums set ablaze an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) stationed in the area. An unconfirmed report also claimed that some people were killed.
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Hoodlums, in their hundreds, were later seen moving to Yemetu Police Station with the intention of causing mayhem, but policemen foiled their plan. However, the hoodlums razed the Idi Ogungun Police Station at Gate, close to the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA).
Smoke was still rising from the station at 5pm yesterday. They also vandalised and looted the Agodi Gate Police Station, a few metres away from the burnt station. Also, men of the state security outfit, Operation Burst, cordoned off the area. This led to gridlock in the axis. Hoodlums also seized the opportunity to harass motorists in a bid to extort money from them.
The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Gbenga Fadeyi, said “no shot was fired by the police”. He said: “It is true that there was a clash but police officers and security men from sister agencies are on the ground to ensure there is no breakdown of law and order.
”Our men were there to ensure peace reigns and avoid any breakdown of law and order. They did not shoot anybody as being peddled on the social media.” Fadeyi also confirmed that a police station was burnt. He said: “The hoodlums burnt the Idi Ogungun Police Station when there was a feud between the Correctional personnel and an Okada rider at Gate area.”
