Angry Youths Vent Anger Over Farmer’s Beheading, Attack Police Station
Angry youths in Ala, Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State, have attacked a police station following the killing of a farmer, Rasheed Hassan, as the police arrested 14 suspects over the violence.
The Ondo State Police Command disclosed that two suspects arrested in connection with the farmer’s death were rescued from an angry mob that attempted to lynch them.
According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, on October 29, 2026, the incident followed the discovery of Hassan’s body after his death was reported to the police on October 24, 2026, in General Camp, within the Government Reserve area.
The police said preliminary observations revealed deep cuts on the victim’s head and other parts of his body, while his belongings were reportedly missing.
The Command added that investigations commenced immediately to identify and apprehend those responsible for the killing.
It stated that the Ala Youth President reportedly arrested two suspects on October 26, 2026, and was conveying them to the police station for necessary action when an angry mob confronted him, demanding that the suspects be handed over for extrajudicial killing.
The youth leader subsequently sought refuge at the Ala Divisional Police Headquarters with the suspects. However, the mob pursued them and attacked the police facility.
The statement said the mob became increasingly violent, throwing stones and other dangerous objects at the station while resisting efforts by police rescue teams to gain access to the area.
In response to the escalating violence, the police deployed tactical and other rescue teams to restore order and protect lives.
The Command said its operatives successfully rescued the two suspects from the mob at about 1:45 a.m. on October 27, 2026.
However, the patrol team conveying the suspects back to Akure reportedly came under attack, during which two police officers sustained gunshot injuries from pellets allegedly fired from a pump-action firearm wielded by one of the youths.
The injured officers were immediately taken to a nearby hospital for urgent medical attention.
Following the attack, police operatives arrested 14 suspects in connection with the assault on officers, the attack on the police facility and the rescue team.
The Command said investigations were ongoing to establish the individual roles of those arrested and ensure that anyone found culpable faced the full weight of the law.
It added that tactical teams had been deployed to the area to prevent any further breakdown of law and order, noting that normalcy had returned to the community while security monitoring continued.
The Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, CP Felix Ohagwu, condemned the attack on police officers and the police facility, describing mob action and attempts to obstruct lawful police operations as unacceptable.
Ohagwu reiterated that no individual or group had the right to take the law into their own hands, regardless of the gravity of any alleged crime.
He warned that the Command would not tolerate attacks on police facilities, assaults on officers or attempts to undermine lawful police operations.
The police commissioner also assured residents that the circumstances surrounding the farmer’s death and the violence that followed were being thoroughly investigated.
He emphasised that all those found culpable would be dealt with in accordance with the law.
The Command urged members of the public to remain calm, cooperate with security agencies and provide credible information that could assist the ongoing investigations.
It also appealed to community leaders and youth groups to discourage mob action and encourage residents to allow the criminal justice system to take its course.
