Cyclists Storm Ondo Police Station, Seize Senior Officer’s Phone

Commercial motorcyclists on Monday stormed the Oka Police Station in Akoko Southwest Local Government Area of Ondo State, attacking police officers and seizing a senior officer’s phone following a hit-and-run incident.

The chaos reportedly began after a driver allegedly hit a motorcyclist along Epinmi Road, damaging the bike and leaving one person dead and another injured. Sources disclosed that the motorcyclists were angered by claims that the police shielded the driver involved.

An eyewitness said, “The motorcyclists were enraged by what they believed to be police protection of the driver. They stormed the station in large numbers, assaulted the policemen, and took the phone of one senior officer.”

A senior police officer at the station, recounting the ordeal, said the crowd gathered unexpectedly and became violent.

“We received a call about a fatal accident on Epinmi road and moved the victims to the hospital. Suddenly, a large group of motorcyclists stormed the station, demanding to see the driver. They started beating our officers with sticks and snatched a phone. Despite efforts to calm the situation, there were about 100 of them,” he narrated.

Reacting to the incident, the monarch of the town, Oba Yusuf Adebori Adeleye, condemned the attack on the police station, describing it as an unacceptable act of lawlessness.

The spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, confirmed the incident but denied claims that the station was attacked. She explained that the matter began after a young man reported a fatal accident at the station.

“The accident involved a vehicle and a motorcyclist. Officers from Oka Division visited the scene, where the motorcyclist was confirmed dead and the passenger injured. The corpse was taken to the morgue, and the injured person to the hospital.

“A group of motorcyclists followed the police back to the station, demanding the immediate release of the driver. The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) refused, explaining that legal processes must be followed. After a productive dialogue, the motorcyclists dispersed peacefully,” she clarified.