The Oyo State police command on Sunday said investigation had commenced into the circumstances surrounding Saturday night attack by bandits on Igangan, a town in the Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State.
There were reports that several people were killed on Saturday by unknown gunmen who invaded and attacked Igangan.
A short video clip of the attack trended online in which the gory images of villagers killed littered the floor.
The palace of the traditional ruler of the town was also said to have been razed by the bandits, who also burnt a popular petrol filling station in town.
Reacting to an enquiry on the incident from The Eagle Online on Sunday, the state command’s public relations officer, DSP Adewale Osifeso, confirmed the incident, but could not give specifics on the number of casualties of the attack.
He, however, said investigation had commenced, and that details would be given shortly.
“On Saturday at about 2310hrs, a yet-to-be-ascertained number of unknown assailants invaded Igangan town with dangerous weapons in a bid to create unrest in the town.
“The unscrupulous elements were, however, repelled by a combination of Police Operational and tactical assets in concert with local hunters and vigilantes.
“Normalcy has since returned as on-the-spot-assessment is in process. Furthermore, the situation is being closely monitored and comprehensive investigations are ongoing to apprehend the perpetrators.”
Pressed to speak on the number of casualties, Osifeso said, “As a standard, it is unprofessional to meddle into the details of an ongoing investigation.
“The total number of casualties would be premised upon the completion of the investigation, please. You can rest assured that you would receive updates in quick time.”