January 1, 2026
By Ayinde Adeleke
Following the New Year’s eve attack on the Ipele police station in Owo Local Government Area, Ondo State Governor, Dr Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has directed intensified patrols across communities and forest areas, stressing that security remains a 24-hour responsibility, particularly during festive periods.
The Governor spoke on Thursday after an emergency meeting with the heads of security agencies at the Presidential Lodge of the Government House in Akure, where he reviewed the response to the attack and measures to prevent its recurrence.
He explained that the attack occurred late on Wednesday night while many residents were attending night services to usher in 2026.
The Governor said that upon receiving the report, he immediately contacted the police and the Brigade Commander of the army, instructing that security personnel be deployed to support officers on patrol and protect residents.
Governor Aiyedatiwa noted that security operatives, including members of the Joint Operations Task Force and Amotekun Rangers, were already on patrol throughout the state and in forested areas.
Their rapid mobilisation, he said, ensured that the attackers, who gained access to the police station and discharged an explosive, were unable to harm anyone.
“Somehow they were able to breach security, but the swift response of the security agencies helped greatly to curtail the situation. Nobody lost their life,” the Governor said.
The Governor said that only the police station was damaged. All officers survived and were able to rejoin their colleagues on patrol to prevent further criminal activity.
He added that the emergency meeting with security chiefs focused on reviewing the incident, assessing the security response, and ensuring that similar acts do not happen again.
Also speaking, the Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, said the governor convened the emergency session with the heads of the police, military, DSS, Civil Defence and Amotekun to assess the situation and activate strategies to apprehend the perpetrators.
Lawal dismissed reports circulating on social media suggesting casualties or attacks on churches, affirming that no lives were lost and no church was affected.
He added that investigations are ongoing to determine the extent of damage, including items looted from the police armoury, cautioning that it is premature to label the incident as a terrorist attack until arrests are made.
“It is too early to conclude that they were terrorists. Once investigations are complete and arrests are made, we will identify those responsible,” the commissioner said.
Lawal reassured residents that Ondo State remains one of the safest states in Southern Nigeria and urged citizens to remain calm and maintain confidence in the security agencies
