Police restore calm after alleged attempted takeover of motor park in Ife

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo –

The Osun State Police Command on Sunday said it restored calm at the Mayfair Garage area of Ile-Ife following reports of an alleged attempt to forcefully take over the motor park.

The incident, which circulated on social media, sparked concern among residents, with claims that suspected thugs had stormed the garage and disrupted public peace.

Reacting to the development, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, said the command received credible information that a group of suspected thugs had gathered around the Mayfair Garage area, where they became unruly, resulting in a temporary breach of public peace and order.

According to the statement, the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, immediately directed the deployment of operatives to the area to prevent further escalation and restore normalcy.

The police said the situation was brought under control through the use of minimal and proportionate force while ensuring the safety of residents and the protection of lives and property, urged residents to remain calm, law-abiding and refrain from actions capable of causing a further breach of the peace.

The command reaffirmed its commitment to professionalism and strict adherence to the rule of law in the discharge of its constitutional responsibilities, warning that anyone found exploiting the incident to foment violence or disrupt public order would be dealt with in accordance with the law.

Meanwhile, the command also disclosed that it had intensified efforts to apprehend hoodlums who allegedly attacked officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in Odo-Otin Local Government Area of the state.

According to the statement, about 10 armed thugs attacked INEC officials who were peacefully distributing PVCs at Oyinlola DC Primary School, Ward 2, in Odo-Otin Local Government Area. They were said to have fired sporadically into the air and carted away three packs of PVCs before fleeing the scene.