There was panic in Owutu area of Ikorodu in Lagos State between Monday night and Tuesday morning, as heavily armed bunkers overran Owutu police station, killing two policemen and injuring others.

The armed oil thieves, numbering over 50, were said to have invaded the police station in many commercial vehicles and motorcycles.

They were said to have overpowered the policemen, killing two of them in sporadic gunshots and looting the armoury of the police station, where they were said to have escaped with arms and ammunition.

The Nigerian Tribune gathered that the rampaging hoodlums had invaded the police station on Monday evening with intent of releasing their arrested members, but met stiff resistance from the policemen.

It was gathered that the oil thieves regrouped on Tuesday and invaded the police station, where they opened fire on the policemen on duty, killing two of them instantly and injuring many others in a gun duel between them.

The build-up to the Monday invasion reportedly started late last year, when a combined team of policemen, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps invaded Ishawo in Ikorodu and arrested some pipeline vandals.

The arrested suspects were reportedly handed over to the police at Owutu  police station, where investigations into the activities continued and efforts were geared towards the arrest of other members of the gang.

A police source at Owutu police station confirmed the incident, when he said “we did not expect what we saw as we fled the station, but later reinforced and faced them, fire for fire.

“I know we injured some of them as they escaped. We will start combing the bushes and I know we will fish out some dead bodies of the hoodlums.”

Residents of the area, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, also described the clash between the police and the bunkers as “war like,” adding that they could not close their eyes between Monday night and Tuesday morning.

The image maker in charge of the state police command, Kenneth Nwosu, confirmed that the police had “two casualties,” but denied that the police station was overrun by the rampaging hoodlums.

Nwosu, a deputy superintendent of police, claimed that the police repelled the heavily armed hoodlums, shooting many of them, who escaped with bullet wounds.