Security tension has gripped parts of Ondo State following a late-night attack on Ipele-Owo community, as Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa ordered immediate and intensified security patrols across the state’s communities and forest corridors.
The directive came on Thursday after an emergency meeting with top security chiefs in Akure, convened in response to the violent assault carried out by armed men on Ipele in Owo Local Government Area on Wednesday night, December 31, 2025.
The attackers struck at about 10 p.m., invading the agrarian community in what residents described as a coordinated operation. Gunmen reportedly fired sporadically, setting the local Police Divisional Station ablaze and forcing officers and residents to flee in panic. The incident occurred while many residents were attending night services to usher in the New Year.
Eyewitnesses said the assailants, estimated to be about 20, stormed the town in a commando-style raid that left the community terrified. Residents were forced to run into nearby bushes for safety as gunshots rang through the area.
Describing the incident as deeply troubling, Governor Aiyedatiwa said he immediately contacted the police authorities and the brigade commander of the Nigerian Army upon receiving reports of the attack. He ordered rapid deployment of security personnel to secure the area, protect residents and prevent the situation from escalating.
According to the governor, the swift response of security operatives, including the Joint Operations Task Force and the Amotekun Corps, ensured that the attackers were unable to inflict casualties despite breaching the police facility and discharging an explosive device.
“Although the attackers managed to access the police station, the prompt mobilisation of security agencies helped to contain the situation. No life was lost,” Aiyedatiwa said.
He confirmed that only the police station sustained damage and that the affected officers had since regrouped with their colleagues to continue patrols aimed at deterring further criminal activity. The governor added that the emergency meeting focused on reviewing the incident, strengthening security coordination and ensuring such attacks do not recur.
Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, also addressed the incident, dismissing claims circulating on social media about deaths and attacks on churches. He insisted that no casualties were recorded and no place of worship was attacked during the raid.
Lawal said investigations were ongoing to assess the full extent of the damage, including any items taken from the police armoury, and to identify and apprehend those responsible. He cautioned against prematurely describing the attack as terrorism until arrests are made and investigations concluded.
Despite the incident, the police commissioner maintained that Ondo State remains one of the safer states in southern Nigeria, urging residents to remain calm and continue to cooperate with security agencies as patrols are intensified statewide.
