Fury Erupts: Ekiti Police Station Torched, Officers Injured After Community Death

The Isan-Ekiti police station in Oye Local Government Area of Ekiti State was set ablaze on Friday evening, hours before the scheduled Saturday gubernatorial election across the state. This unfortunate incident was reportedly triggered by irate youths protesting the death of a community member, who they alleged was killed by police officers.

Circumstances surrounding the alleged killing remain unclear, but a viral video captured the moment angry youths stormed the police facility and set it ablaze. One of the videos reportedly showed a lifeless body of a young man lying in a pool of blood. When contacted by DAILY POST, SP Abutu Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Ekiti State Command, stated he would revert, offering no immediate details on what sparked the violence. The attack began around 6 p.m., according to an anonymous police officer.

During the assault, two police officers sustained injuries, with one reportedly in a coma and receiving hospital treatment. Extensive damage was inflicted upon the station and its surroundings. Several vehicles were destroyed, including a long bus reportedly hired by police personnel from Abuja. Inside the station premises, two vehicles were burnt, and a generator along with other equipment was destroyed. Windows, doors, and ceilings of the station also suffered significant damage. Outside the facility, three additional vehicles were observed to have been burnt.

Operatives of the Police Mobile Force, who received information about the attack while approaching Isan from Oye, were able to repel the assailants, preventing them from taking over the entire community. Although officers attached to the station initially fled when the attackers struck, security personnel have since regained control of the area and restored calm. This incident has raised significant security concerns ahead of the gubernatorial polls.

This latest attack on the Isan-Ekiti police station adds to a series of assaults on police facilities in Ekiti State in recent years. Previous incidents include an attack on the Ido-Ekiti Divisional Police Station in 2016 by suspected gunmen, resulting in the death of a police inspector, injuries to two other officers, and the theft of weapons. Additionally, during the #EndSARS protests in 2020, hoodlums vandalized and set ablaze police facilities in parts of the state, including Ikere-Ekiti. As of the time of reporting, the Ekiti State Police Command had not yet issued an official statement regarding the incident at Isan-Ekiti.