Angry youths in Ifon, the headquarters of the Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State, have chased away policemen at the divisional police station in the town and set the place ablaze.

According to information from some locals, the violent crisis was said to have started with a clash between two different groups of youths in the community on Valentine’s Day.

One of the groups involved reported the case at the police station, and two members of the other group were arrested by the police; unfortunately, one of them was said to have died from police torture while the other was being hospitalised.

This development was said to have angered some youths in the community who protested at the police station and allegedly chased away policemen on duty and set the station ablaze.

It was gathered that the protest continued on Sunday morning, and this prompted the Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Wilfred Afolabi, to visit the town for an on-the-spot assessment of the crisis.

A spokesperson for the police in the state, Funmilayo Odunlami, in a statement, said, “Preliminary reports indicate that the incident began on 15th February 2025 when a dispute between two families on Ogbomo Street, Ifon, escalated into a public fight. Officers from Ifon Division, led by an Inspector, responded promptly, moved to the scene, intervened, and made arrests while some suspects fled.”

“Later, one Tobi Bobade, one of the young men involved in the fight, was brought to the station by one Mr. Losilosi. He appeared weak and was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention. He was later pronounced dead while receiving treatment. His remains have been deposited at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, for a postmortem examination.”

“While officers were at the station, an angry mob, led by the deceased’s father, launched a violent attack on the station, the administrative office, DPOs office, the station store and two (2) exhibit vehicles were affected by the inferno caused by the mob.

“Fortunately, no lives were lost in the fire as security personnel acted swiftly and called for reinforcements to secure the premises.”

The police commissioner warned that such acts of lawlessness would not be tolerated in the state anymore, adding that the perpetrators would be brought to book.

The police authorities called for calm, appealing to the aggrieved parties to allow peace to reign.

“The Police Command urges members of the public to remain calm and refrain from taking the laws into their hands. Investigations are ongoing, and further updates will be provided as the investigation progresses,” the statement concluded.