The State Controller of the Federal Fire Service in Osun, Femi Akinjobi, has condemned the attack on his officers by angry residents during an emergency response to a vehicle fire in Osogbo.
The incident occurred on Thursday near the MDS Road in the Old Garage area of the state capital. A vehicle caught fire, prompting panic as residents scrambled for extinguishers and water before emergency responders arrived.
However, tempers flared when firefighters from the Federal Fire Service eventually arrived, only to be confronted by an irate crowd accusing them of arriving too late. According to witnesses, the fire had largely been subdued before the firefighters disembarked.
As the operatives attempted to assess the situation, some individuals at the scene began hurling stones and other objects at them. The firefighters were also reportedly threatened and forced to retreat to avoid escalation.
Akinjobi, who was present at the scene, said his team responded as quickly as possible after receiving a distress alert from the State Fire Service but encountered traffic gridlock en route.
“The people who needed help did not call us directly,” Akinjobi said. “We were alerted by a State Fire Service official. I even followed the team in my private vehicle. As soon as we arrived, hoodlums began throwing stones at my men, so they had to withdraw. Sadly, police officers at the scene did nothing to stop the attackers.”
He noted that while no firefighting equipment was damaged, the inability to intervene was disheartening.
In response, the spokesperson for the Osun State Police Command, SP Abiodun Ojelabi, disputed the claim that the police failed to act. He explained that the police had called both the state and federal fire services when the fire broke out.
“The state fire service delayed, and when the federal firefighters arrived, the crowd, already agitated, shouted at them,” Ojelabi said. “The operatives were not physically attacked but chose to leave for safety as tensions rose. By the time they arrived, most of the fire had already been put out.”
Ojelabi added that the presence of police officers prevented the situation from escalating further and urged citizens to remain calm during emergencies.
