From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
The Oyo State Police Command has exonerated the Oyo State Security Network, codenamed Amotekun Corps, from killing of two persons in Ibadan, the state capital.
The Police Public Relations Officer for the state, Olugbenga Fadeyi, made the clarification on Sunday, following an allegation that an operative of the agency killed one persons via gunshots at Ori Eru, Akala Road, on December 14, 2020, and another person at Born Photo on December 15, 2020.
According to the police, the two persons that lost their lives at Asaka area of Ibadan were allegedly killed for not joining Oodua People Congress (OPC). Fadeyi stated that the death of the two person has nothing to do with the Amotekun Corps.
His words: “The case that was reported at Mapo Divisional Police Headquarters was an allegation against one Sikiru Apanpa that he led some OPC men to attack and kill one Delokun Akin, male, aged 26 years of Born Photo on December 15, 2020, and one Azeez Hammed, aged 30 years at his home at Akala Road, Ori Eru on December 14, 2020, for refusing to join OPC.
“The scenes were visited by the police, while family members refused autopsy and buried corpses according to Muslim rites. Investigation has commenced and it is being intensified.”
The Commandant of the Amotekun Corps, in the state, Col. Olayinka Olayanju (retd), had earlier 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 members of 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.
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 operatives 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, investigation is already ongoing to arrest the hoodlums.”
