TheCable

Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo, says a female operative of the Oyo state security network, codenamed Amotekun, is currently in critical condition following the attack on Abolongo medium custodial centre in the state.

A total of 575 inmates were declared missing after the attack which occurred on Friday night.

In a broadcast on Saturday evening, the governor also asked residents to call the state’s emergency number, 615, to report suspicious movements in their communities.

“Our security men were ambushed. As a result, we lost two of our security agents – a corporal of the Nigerian Army attached to ‘Operation Burst’, and an operative of the Oyo state Amotekun corps, Tijani Sadiq Babatunde,” he said.

“Aside from the two lives lost, we had several operatives injured. I must mention that one of our Amotekun female volunteers, Shukurat Omoba, is presently in critical condition.

“I have visited her at the hospital, and we are deploying all state resources to ensure that she survives this. Please, let us all join in prayer for her speedy and complete recovery.

“Although some inmates have been recovered and taken back into custody, some are still at large. All security agencies have been placed on high alert to ensure that all that escaped are rearrested and returned to custody.

“I am therefore using this opportunity also to put the citizens on alert. There is no better time to repeat the call to action: if you see something, please say something.

“These criminals would want to go to areas where they will not be easily rearrested. If you spot any unexplained strangers in your community, please call the 615-security emergency number immediately, and make a report.

“I have directed the security agencies to deploy personnel to critical national assets within the state and to monitor all entrance and exit points across the state.”

While urging residents to remain calm, he also asked that people disregard “the various speculations going round especially on social media regarding the reason for this attack”, and said investigation into the incident is ongoing.

“Rest assured that we will continue to do everything we are constitutionally allowed to do to secure our state,” he added.