The Osun State Police Command has launched a full-scale manhunt after suspected political thugs ambushed a police patrol team along the Ibadan-Ife expressway, leaving two civilians dead and two officers injured.

The police spokesperson in the state, Abiodun Ojelabi, in a statement, Tuesday, explained that the incident occurred on Monday around 11:00am when officers from the Ikire Division, led by their Divisional Police Officer, responded to a distress call regarding the alleged abduction of an individual named Sunkanmi.

He claimed that the team was met with a sudden and unprovoked onslaught upon arriving at the scene.

“The assailants opened fire on the police officers while they were inside their operational vehicle and succeeded in snatching one AK-47 service rifle.

“The hoodlums used the stolen weapon to fire indiscriminately, resulting in the tragic loss of two innocent lives,” Ojelabi said.

He explained that the deceased victims have been identified as 49-year-old Nureni Sobowale from the Odeda area of Abeokuta, and 43-year-old Saheed Akinrole from Adeagbo Compound, Ikire, saying that their remains have been deposited at the Oluyoro Catholic Mortuary, and their families have been notified.

Meanwhile, Ojelabi said the two police officers who sustained serious injuries were initially treated at a nearby facility before being transferred to the University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan for advanced medical care.

He said, during the chaos, the attackers seized the patrol vehicle attached to the Ikire Division. The vehicle was later recovered abandoned, bearing multiple bullet holes and a shattered windscreen. 

Police disclosed that investigators recovered nine expended ammunition shells at the scene for forensic analysis.

Ojelabi stressed that, following the attack, the newly resumed Osun state Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Zungura, visited the scene for an immediate on-the-spot assessment, where he ordered a comprehensive investigation led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID). 

Tactical and intelligence assets have also been deployed to track down and apprehend the fleeing suspects.

The Osun state Police Command strongly condemned the attack, urging residents to remain calm and vigilant. 

The command appealed to anyone with credible information to report to the nearest police station or contact them via 09060052947 or [email protected].

Assuring the public that security has been reinforced along the affected axis, the police promised to provide further updates as the investigation unfolds.