Thursday, January 1, 2026 - Gunmen suspected to be bandits have attacked Ipele in Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State, sending fresh panic across the town.
Reports say residents have been displaced from their homes
and are seeking refuge in nearby bushes for fear of being killed by the gunmen.
A resident who spoke to our correspondent on the phone but
does not want his name mentioned due to fear of being attacked said the
incident occurred at about 10 p.m. on Wednesday.
He said the gunmen attacked the Divisional Police
Headquarters in the town with gunshots and explosives.
It was also gathered that the attackers, numbering about 20,
targeted the police facility and subsequently set it ablaze.
“As I speak to you, we are still hiding in a nearby bush for
fear that they might attack us at our houses.
“We just received information that soldiers have been
deployed to the scene to handle the situation. We are not anyway near to
confirm that,” he said.
Another resident who claimed to be close to the screen when
the attack occurred said the gunmen, who came heavily armed, overwhelmed the
police personnel on duty for over an hour before fleeing the scene.
“It was a terrorist attack. The attackers, numbering about
20, came into the Ipele community in a commando style and began to shoot
sporadically before attacking the Police Divisional Station in Ipele,” the
resident said.
“It was a serious incident because many of us had to flee
into the bush. The sounds from the attack were terrifying, and none of us could
withstand it.”
At the time of filing this report, there was no official
confirmation of casualties, as security agencies have since been deployed to
the area.
When contacted, the Ondo Police Public Relations Officer,
Jimoh Abayomi, confirmed the attack but stated that details were still unclear.
Mr Abayomi, a deputy superintendent of police, assured that
the command would provide details after proper briefing.
The attack is coming barely a week after the US coordinated
airstrikes on terrorists’ hideouts in Sokoto State and some parts of the North.
The terrorists have continued their attacks with a Christmas
Eve attack on a mosque in Borno State, showing that they still have the
capacity to strike at any spot within the country despite the onslaught against
them.
The attack, which occurred at Gambaru Market mosque in
Maiduguri, the state capital, left five people dead and 35 others injured.
Wednesday’s attack in Ipele would be the second in the Owo
Local Government Area by gunmen.
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