By; OLADELE ADEDAYO, Ado-Ekiti.
Tragedy struck in Ekiti state weekend as gunmen numbering over 30, on Friday night invaded Ido-Ekiti Divisional Police Station in Ido/Osi local Government area of Ekiti State and killed a police inspector on duty during the massive raid.
The armoury of the police station was emptied by the men of the underworld, while the roof top was blown off with the aid of dynamite and the entire police station, including the asbestos were destroyed during the attack.
A detective attached to the station who pleaded anonymity, revealed that the suspected robbers invaded the police station around 7.20 pm and destroyed virtually everywhere while ransacking all rooms searching for ammunition.
The incident had rendered the police officers attached to the station devastated.
The source added that the robbers had drove-in recklessly through the gate while some had scaled the fence and headed into the main building where the armoury was located.
He said few policemen were on guard during the raid, which he said made the attack to be more successful and fierce.
Upon entering the station, the source said the heavily armed bandits rained bullets on the police inspector and he was said to have died on the spot.
“They drove in recklessly and took over the entire police station. Some even scaled the fence and took strategic positions. They shot into the air sporadically and destroyed virtually every room. “Our suspicion was that they came to loot the armoury because that was where they first attacked after demobilizing our men.
“In fact, they emptied the entire place” he added. When asked whether they came to free a high profile detainee robbery suspect, the police officer said: “That is not true because nobody was detained in the cell as at the time the incident took place”.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the state Command, Mr. Alberto Adeyemi said the Police Commissioner, Mr. Etop James had visited the station on a fact finding mission.
He said the armoury had already been decongested before the gunmen’s invasion.
He also said that the Police Inspector died early Saturday morning and two rifles carted away while two policemen sustained injury and now receiving treatment in the hospital.
