The Oyo State Police Command has launched a comprehensive investigation into a brazen attack on the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) passport office in Ogbomosho, Oyo state. The incident occurred on Tuesday night, June 2, when five armed assailants invaded the facility.
Details of the Invasion
According to police preliminary findings, the attackers scaled the rear perimeter fence of the NIS Ogbomosho office, which borders a large expanse of bushland. They targeted two immigration officers on night duty, assaulting them with sticks and other dangerous weapons. The assailants made off with a G3 rifle assigned to the office, along with ammunition, a mobile phone belonging to one of the officers, a generating set, and a motorcycle battery. They escaped using the same route they entered.
The injured officers have received medical attention and are reported to be in stable condition.
Police Response and Investigation
In a statement signed by Ayanlade Olayinka, spokesperson for the Oyo State Command, the police confirmed that immediate reinforcement was deployed to the scene after receiving a distress report. Operatives from the Command Monitoring Unit and surveillance teams were dispatched for intervention and assessment.
The statement read: "Findings from the preliminary investigation revealed that the assailants, numbering about five, gained access to the premises through the rear fence bordering a large expanse of bushland. The hoodlums reportedly attacked two Immigration officers who were on night duty, assaulting them with sticks and other dangerous weapons before making away with a G3 rifle assigned to the office, together with ammunition attached thereto. The suspects also carted away a mobile phone belonging to one of the officers on duty, a generating set and a motorcycle battery before escaping through the same route."
Reassurance to Residents
Oyo Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Olugbenga, reassured residents of Ogbomosho and its environs that the command remains resolute in its commitment to protecting lives and property and preventing criminal elements from gaining a foothold within the state. He urged members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious persons or activities to the nearest security formation.
Context of Rising Insecurity
The attack on the NIS office comes just 19 days after suspected Boko Haram terrorists abducted 39 students and several teachers in an attack targeting schools in Oyo state. That assault occurred in the Ahoro Esinele community in Oriire district, targeting a secondary school and two primary schools. One abducted teacher was killed hours after the attack.
In response, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has been on strike over the continued captivity of teachers and pupils abducted during those school attacks. This has sparked widespread outrage from members of the public.
Earlier, the Oyo chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) criticized Governor Seyi Makinde over his remarks on the security situation in the state, calling for his resignation. The APC described Makinde's comments as a misrepresentation of the constitutional role of state governors in addressing insecurity.
