Enraged youths have reportedly set fire to a divisional police station in Ifon, the headquarters of Ose Local Government Area in Ondo State, as confirmed by the Peoples Gazette on Sunday.
The incident followed allegations that a young boy, whose identity remains undisclosed, died in police custody after supposedly being subjected to torture.
Sources indicate that the boy’s death infuriated the youths, who stormed the police station, overpowered the officers on duty, and ignited the building.
“One account suggests that several young boys in the community were involved in a brawl on Friday night, coinciding with Valentine’s Day, which was reported to the police.
“The police intervened and arrested two of the boys. By Saturday, we learned that one of them had died in police custody, reportedly due to torture, while the other fell into a coma before being rushed to hospital.
“This news incited anger amongst their friends, who confronted the divisional police station, driving away the officers and then setting it ablaze,” one source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Gazette on Sunday.
State police spokesperson Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya confirmed the incident in a brief conversation, stating that Commissioner of Police Wilfred Afolabi, along with other senior security officials, visited the community.
Mrs Odunlami-Omisanya added that security forces have been given a directive to restore normalcy and peace to the area, with further details of the visit to be released to the public soon.
