In a dramatic turn of events, about 20 operatives of the Osun State Amotekun Corps have been arrested by a special squad of the ...
In a dramatic turn of events, about 20 operatives of the Osun State Amotekun Corps have been arrested by a special squad of the Nigeria Police Force over their alleged involvement in the recent killings in Akinlalu, a community in Ife North Local Government Area of the state.
Reliable sources revealed that the arrest was carried out on Wednesday by a team of policemen deployed from Abuja. The operation reportedly took place at the Amotekun operational bases located in Oke-Fia, Osogbo, and the Ife Central Division in Ile-Ife.
Confirming the development, the spokesperson for Osun Amotekun, Yusuf Idowu, said the police team stormed the corps’ bases and apprehended several operatives.
“Some policemen came, but they didn’t seal our headquarters at Powerline. They raided our operation bases in Oke-Fia and Ife Central Command and arrested about 20 of our men. They said it was connected to the Akinlalu incident. We don’t know where they took them,” Idowu explained.
However, in a counter-statement issued later, the Osun State Police Command disclosed that investigations had confirmed that the attackers involved in the Akinlalu killings were members of the Amotekun Corps.
The Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, through the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, stated that five suspects have so far been arrested while efforts are ongoing to apprehend others.
“Investigation revealed that the attackers were members of the Amotekun Corps. Witnesses have also identified individuals believed to have masterminded the attack. Five suspects are currently in custody, while efforts continue to track others still at large,” the statement read.
The police also accused the Osun Amotekun Commander, Isaac Omoyele, of refusing to honour an official invitation to clarify his role in the incident. According to the police, Omoyele later claimed that he was attacked by masked gunmen, a statement investigators have since described as false and intended to obstruct justice.
“The Commander was invited to explain his role but refused to show up. He later claimed on social media that he was attacked by unknown armed men wearing masks, but our preliminary findings show that his story was fabricated to derail the investigation,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Force Intelligence Department (FID) to take over the investigation.
The Osun State Police Command urged the public to remain calm and disregard unverified claims, assuring that the police remain committed to ensuring peace and justice in the state.
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