The Oyo State Police Command has launched a manhunt for armed hoodlums who attacked the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Passport Office in Ogbomoso, making away with a rifle, ammunition and other valuables.
The incident occurred on Tuesday night at the passport office located along the Ogbomoso–Ilorin Expressway near the NNPC filling station, according to sources familiar with the development.
Eyewitness accounts indicated that the attackers struck while commercial activities were still ongoing at the nearby Ayanyan Cattle Market.
A source disclosed that the assailants stormed the facility, overpowered officers on duty and dispossessed them of their firearms before fleeing under the cover of darkness.
Confirming the attack in a statement issued on Wednesday in Ibadan, the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Olayinka Ayanlade, said the command had commenced a comprehensive investigation into the incident.
According to him, preliminary reports showed that the officer in charge of the facility raised an alarm at about 8:45 p.m. after armed men gained entry into the premises by scaling the perimeter fence from the rear.
“Upon receipt of the distress report, immediate reinforcement comprising operatives of the Command Monitoring Unit and surveillance teams was deployed to the scene for intervention and assessment,” Ayanlade stated.
The police spokesman revealed that about five armed suspects accessed the facility through a rear fence adjoining a large expanse of bushland.
The attackers reportedly assaulted two immigration officers on night duty with sticks and other dangerous weapons before carting away a G3 rifle assigned to the office and its ammunition.
In addition to the firearm, the hoodlums allegedly stole a mobile phone belonging to one of the officers, a generating set and a motorcycle battery before escaping through the same route they used to enter the premises.
Ayanlade said the injured officers had received medical treatment and were in stable condition.
He added that surveillance and tactical teams had intensified operations around the area, including combing nearby bushes and suspected escape routes in a bid to apprehend the suspects and recover the stolen items.
“Intelligence assets and informants have been activated to generate actionable information capable of leading to the arrest of the suspects, while all relevant investigative and operational resources have been deployed to ensure a swift breakthrough in the case,” he said.
The police spokesperson further disclosed that the command was collaborating closely with the Nigeria Immigration Service and other security agencies to bring the perpetrators to justice.
He noted that the Commissioner of Police, Olugbemiga Abimbola, had directed all operational and intelligence units to deploy every available resource towards tracking down those responsible for the attack.
According to the statement, the Commissioner of Police and the Oyo State Comptroller of the Nigeria Immigration Service have jointly established a task team to strengthen coordination and enhance efforts aimed at arresting the suspects.
Abimbola reassured residents of Ogbomoso and surrounding communities of the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property, while urging members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious persons or activities to security agencies.
