Date: 2018-01-03

An additional 22 suspected hoodlums have been arrested by the Kwara State police command in connection with the New Year eve attack on worshippers in the Ilorin metropolis, making a total number of 32 arrests.

It is recalled that suspected hoodlums had attacked religious worshippers at Ibrahim Taiwo Isale area of the Ilorin metropolis on the eve of the New Year, where the property was destroyed and valuables were stolen.

Speaking with journalists in Ilorin on Tuesday, the state commissioner of police, Mr. Lawan Ado, said that the attack was not a premeditated religious attack as it was being speculated in some quarters.

This is just as a leader of the Ibrahim Taiwo Isale community, Mr. Gambari Usman, said that the community was alerted by a Muslim woman whose daughter was being raped in her presence. Gambari also commended Christian community in the area for coming to the rescue of the Muslim lady.

The police commissioner in Tuesday said that the command received a distress call at about 1:00 am on the new year day to the effect that hoodlums, armed with dangerous weapons, were harassing and intimidating people and commercial motorcycle riders along Ibrahim Taiwo Isale area of the Ilorin metropolis.

"This group of unruly youth were said to be throwing fireworks, including knock out bangers of different calibres indiscriminately into premises of both the Catholic and Methodist churches and the United Secondary School, where members of the Quareeb Muslim Group and Christian worshippers were having their crossover programmes, causing a stampede on the premises of the school.

"This commotion gave the hoodlums an opportunity to gain entrance into the church premises, snatching handsets of some of the worshippers, they damaged five vehicles belonging to worshippers and three persons sustained varying degrees of injury.

"On the strength of the report, policemen drafted to the scene promptly brought the situation under control while 10 suspects were initially arrested, the injured victims were rushed to the hospital where they were treated", he said. The commissioner of police also said that investigation into the cause/causes of the incident had commenced, adding that additional 22 suspects had been picked up.

He said that the suspects would be charged to court as soon as the investigation was completed. However, a leader of the Ibrahim Taiwo Isale community, Mr. Gambari Usman, said that the community was alerted by a Muslim woman whose daughter was being raped in her presence.

Gambari also commended Christian community in the area for coming to the rescue of the Muslim lady.

Also, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed had assured of his readiness to deploy the law and public fund to achieve peace, unity, and progress in the state.