Residents Clash With Amotekun Over Killings In Oyo Community

Some residents of Tapa in the Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State have disagreed with the claims of the Oyo State Security Network Agency also known as Amotekun over what caused the killing of two youths and shooting of others in the town.

Some of the residents told journalists that Amotekun came to the venue of a carnival organised by the youths to force them to stop the programme and started shooting at them after an altercation ensued.

One of the residents, Qudus Odugbemi, whose cousin, Rasaq Odugbemi, was shot dead said
no fewer than 20 persons were shot and injured by Amotekun that night.

He also said that it was not true that the youths prevented Amotekun corps from pursuing some kidnappers contrary to the claims of the security outfit.

Odugbemi said, ” Amotekun drove recklessly into the venue of the carnival organised by the youths in the town and asked them to stop the carnival. The youth told them that they had the permission of the government to stay there till 10pm but Amotekun stormed the venue by 9pm.

“The manner of their approach infuriated the youths some of who were already drunk. This resulted in an altercation and a fight. The youths started throwing stones at them and they opened fire on them killing two and injuring about 20.

” My cousin, Rasaq Odugbemi, who was not anywhere close to the carnival venue was shot and killed.

” If Amotekun behaved like professionals, there would not have been crisis. But the way they drove there angered the boys who told them that they had the permission to be there till 10pm. The boys threw stones at them and they started shooting into the crowd.”

Another resident , Waziri Sikiru, said two pellets hit him and claimed that many others were also hit in the community.

He said, ” I was going home around 9pm.and I heard gunshots everywhere. Two bullets hit me on my hand, one has been removed , the second is yet to be removed.”

But the Commander of Amotekun, Col. Olayinka Olayanju (retd), said members of the security outfit received a distress call that a woman was about to be kidnapped at Igangan axis and his men were going to foil it. He stated that the youths, who organised a carnival and blocked the road refused to leave the road for the Amotekun corps to pass through.

He said this in a statement issued by the Amotekun Media Officer, Mrs Ayolola Adedoja.

The statement read, ” It was learnt that crisis broke out at Tapa in the Ibarapa North axis of the state when Amotekun operatives received a distress call of an attempted kidnap of a woman along Igangan axis.

“It was gathered that some youths organised a carnival at the area and blocked the road where the operatives were supposed to pass. They ( Amotekun) pleaded with them to allow them to pass ,but the organisers of the carnival refused.

“Argument ensued between them, this they said, led to a fracas that resulted in the boys shooting into the Amotekun operatives and the Amotekun operatives returned the fire.

“The fracas led to the death of a boy from Tapa while a stray bullet hit a boy from Aiyete. The irate boys took to the street and damaged a lot of public properties. It was the timely intervention of the Operation Burst that returned normalcy to the area.”