Thirteen individuals have been apprehended in connection with an attack on a convoy of officials from the Oyo State Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources on Monday. The attack occurred as the ministry officials, led by Commissioner Abdulmojeed Mogbonjubola, were conducting a routine evacuation of shanties and removing illegal occupations of public spaces in the Mobil area on Ring Road, Ibadan.
According to reports, the ministry officials' vehicles were pelted with objects by the occupants who were resisting the enforcement exercise. The windows of some of the vehicles were shattered during the ensuing melee, but no ministry official was injured.
Following the incident, the ministry reported the attack to the State Commissioner of Police, Ayo Shonubi, on Monday. Acting on the report, a combined team of the police, Amotekun, and Civil Defense stormed the area on Tuesday morning and arrested 13 suspects, who were then taken to the state police headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan.
Reacting to the incident, the Oyo Environment Commissioner stated that the attack would not deter him from his commitment to eradicating the illegal occupation of public spaces. He emphasized that the state would continue to remove indiscriminately placed shops, structures, and shanties, and advised residents to use government-approved neighborhood markets for their trading.
The arrest of the 13 suspects comes as the Oyo State government continues its efforts to reclaim and maintain public spaces, a move that has faced resistance from some members of the community. The state authorities have vowed to remain steadfast in their efforts to ensure the proper utilization of public spaces and the enforcement of environmental regulations.