From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
The Commandant of Oyo State Security Network, codenamed Amotekun Corps, Col Olayinka Olayanju (retd), has dismissed the media report that operatives of the agency opened gunfire on some residents of Ibadan, killed two and injured many.
He confirmed that there was a crisis around Born Photo and Isale Osi area, where the men of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) faction of late Dr Frederick Fasehun, was trying to deal with some hoodlums.
According to him, the operatives of Amotekun Corps were invited and its operatives went to the scene. The personnel of the agency that went to the scene, he said were returning from an operation, where a Lebanese man was rescued from his abductors on December 15.
The incident reportedly occurred at Asaka area of Ibadan. But two persons and many other people, as gathered, were shot dead during the fracas. But fingers were being pointed that a member of the security agency, who is well known in the area, actually pulled the trigger.
Olayanju stated: ‘By the time we got there, we saw that the OPC members and the hoodlums were already exchanging gunfire. But our operatives and Operation Burst were able to bring the situation under control. We arrested some suspects and handed them over to Operation Burst.
‘After that had been settled, the hoodlums later gathered and attacked an OPC member, who is also a member of Amotekun in the area.
‘In the earlier incident, while the exchange of gunshots was going on, one of the hoodlums had been hit; he, however, didn’t die at the spot. We learnt he later died at home.
‘So the hoodlums regrouped and went to attack the OPC member, who is also an Amotekun operative in the area. He then called his OPC colleagues, who came to his rescue.
‘So, there was no time Amotekun shot at anybody. We only met the hoodlums and OPC members exchanging gunfire when we got to the scene after we were invited and we brought about normalcy.
‘It is so unfortunate that some media organisations published that an Amotekun operative shot and killed some people. However, the investigation is already ongoing to arrest the hoodlums.’
The media consultant to Amotekun Corps in the state, Yemi Ogunseye, also said: ‘It must be noted that the incident did not happen when the Amotekun operatives were on official duty. So, it would be unfair to say that Amotekun shot someone.
‘We only responded to a distress call by members of the community when the hoodlums and OPC members were exchanging gunshots.’