Fourteen people have been arrested in Ondo State following an attack on police operatives who intervened to prevent the lynching of two suspects accused of killing a farmer in Ala community, Akure North Local Government Area.

The incident followed the discovery of farmer Rasheed Hassan’s body on October 24 at General Camp, within the Government Reserve Area. Police spokesperson DSP Abayomi Jimoh said the deceased had deep cuts on his head and other parts of his body, while his belongings were missing, according to Channels Television.

Jimoh said the two suspects were apprehended on October 26 by the Ala Youth President, who was taking them to a police station when an angry crowd intercepted them and attempted to lynch them.

Police operatives responding to a distress call at about 1:45 a.m. on October 27 rescued the suspects. However, the officers conveying them to Akure came under attack, leaving two officers with pellet gunshot injuries allegedly inflicted with a pump-action firearm. The injured personnel were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The police command said 14 suspected participants in the attack had been arrested, while investigations continued into Hassan’s killing and efforts to apprehend other suspects. Tactical and rescue teams have also been deployed to maintain security, with the command urging residents to surrender suspects to law enforcement agencies rather than resort to mob justice. It added that normalcy had returned to the community.