Five suspected hoodlums have been arrested for setting ablaze the Police patrol van as well vandalization of Elete outstation along new Oyo-Ogbomoso expressway in Atiba local government area on Saturday.
The suspects who claimed to be held up in traffic gridlock along the expressway vented their anger on the police for their perceived inability to restore normalcy on the road
The suspects, according to the Police report succeeded in setting ablaze the patrol van as well vandalization of part of the outstation building.
Confirming the incident in a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso said the suspects who were traveling in an articulated vehicle launched an unprovoked attack at the policemen.
It was stated that the suspects took law into their hands over the alleged failure of the police to rid the expressway of traffic.
The statement read in part, ” the Police preliminary investigation reveals that the suspected hoodlums after realizing they had been held up in the gridlock for a while, charged in their numbers towards the nearby Elete Out-Station over the perceived failure of the Police to rid the traffic and, thereby, set ablaze the Out-Station’s recently refurbished Patrol Van and vandalized some parts of the building.
‘ But they were resisted from breaking into the Out-station by overwhelming Support garnered from men on confidence building patrols from nearby Police Divisions, including the Area Command.
“Consequent to the immediate response and resistance from the men of the Command, No weapon was carted away nor any life lost.
“Five Male Suspects were arrested alongside (2) two unregistered DAF and Volvo trucks taken as exhibits while the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Iyaganku to unravel other underlying sinister motives besides the suspect’s acclaimed “triggering gridlock issue” .
“The suspects will be charged to court upon the completion of the ongoing investigation inquiry”