There was pandemonium in Oregbeni area of Benin City when police engaged youths in a gun battle following an attempt to burn down the Oregbeni police station.
Gun shots rent the air on the Agbor Road where the police is located while residents and other road users scampered for safety.
It was learnt that the youths in their numbers after they were dispersed from setting up a road block on the by police patrol mobilized other youths to the police station with the intention to set it ablaze at about 2pm.
It was gathered that the police got wind of the planned attack and mobilised more officers to the defend the station.
Witnesses said on getting closed to the station, the youths were armed with guns and other dangerous weapons started firing at the police but the police replied forcing them to retreat.
He said the shooting lasted for over 20 minutes before the army arrived and the youth escape the scene and threatened to come back.
Meanwhile, the hoodlums after they have been repelled by the police moved to Agbor Park area and broke into beverage warehouses and carted away drinks.
Earlier, the anti-riot policemen were said to have fired sporadically to disperse #EndSARS protesters along Benin/Agbor Road, by Winners Church.
It was gathered that the security operatives who were heading towards Agbor, ordered the protesters who blocked the road to open the way for them, but met stiff resistance.
They were said to have shot severally to disperse the crowd of protesters who scampered for safety.
The police operative descended on a black-colored Lexus RX330 with registration number Edo: AKA 235 RZ, housing a power generating set, musical equipment used by the protesters for their carnival processions.
Moments after the policemen left the scene with their loots, the protesters mobilized back to the same spot with more men joining them.
When our correspondent visited the scene of the incident, four expended bullets were found in the front tyre of the vehicle, with a visible hole bored by one of the bullets on the alloy rim of the car.
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