Don't Accuse Us Of Killing People, Amotekun Tells Nigerians
The Oyo State Police Command on Sunday said the two people who were reportedly killed at Asaka area of Ibadan were killed for not joining Odu'a People Congress (OPC).
The public relations officer of the state command, Olugbemiga Fadeyi, told SaharaReporters in Ibadan that their death had nothing to do with the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Operation Amotekun.
Some newspapers had last week reported that men of Amotekun killed two people – Delokun Akin and Azeez Hammed at Akala Road, Asaka in the state capital, but the PPRO in an interview with our correspondent denied the allegations.
According to him, the families of the deceased refused to allow autopsies to be carried out their children and have since buried them according to Muslim rites.
He said an investigation had commenced into the alleged killings by the OPC men in the area, adding that the police would find the killers of the two victims.
Fadeyi said, "The case that was reported at Mapo was an allegation against one Sikiru Apanpa that he led some OPC men to attack and kill one Delokun Akin (male), aged 26 of Born Photo on 15/12/2020 and one Azeez Hammed, aged 30 in his home on Akala Road, Ori Eru on 14/12/2020 for refusing to join the OPC.
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"The scene has been visited by the police but family members (of the deceased persons) refused that autopsies should be done and they buried their corpses according to Muslim rites. Investigation has commenced and intensified."
Meanwhile, the Amotekun Commandant in the state, Col. Olayinka Olayanju (retd), told SaharaReporters that it was not true that his men fired the shots that killed the duo.
Olayanju said there was a crisis around Born Photo/Isale Osi area, where the OPC faction of the late Dr Frederick Fasehun was having a problem with some hoodlums.
He said Amotekun was invited and its operatives went there on their way from an operation where a Lebanese man was rescued from his abductors.
“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 was settled, the hoodlums later gathered and attacked an OPC member, who is also a member of Amotekun in the area.
“But while the exchange of gunshots was going on, one of the hoodlums was hit; he, however, didn’t die on 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 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, and that was after we were invited and were able to bring the situation under control.
“It is so unfortunate that some media organisations published that an Amotekun operative shot and killed some people,” Olayanju said.
He added that investigation was already ongoing into the incident and that the hoodlums would be arrested.
Also speaking on the incident, the media consultant to Amotekun, Yemi Ogunseye, said: “It must be noted that the incident did not happen when the Amotekun operative was on official duty, so it would be unfair to say that Amotekun shot someone.
“We only responded to a distress call from members of the community when the hoodlums and OPC members were exchanging gunfire.”
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