Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the recent killings of residents in Akinlalu Community, Ife North Local Government Area, allegedly carried out by operatives of the Amotekun Corps.
In a statement released by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, in Osogbo on Saturday, the governor expressed deep sadness over the deaths and emphasized his commitment to uncovering the truth behind the tragic event.
According to the statement, Adeleke has dispatched a high-level government delegation to Akinlalu to meet community leaders and eyewitnesses in order to ascertain the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
“After receiving the preliminary report, further briefings were presented to the Deputy Governor by the security team with a State Security Council meeting now scheduled for Monday to further deliberate on the issue and other emerging security threats in the state,” the statement read.
Adeleke’s Assurance of Justice
Governor Adeleke vowed to ensure justice and transparency in handling the matter, noting that a joint delegation of top government officials and service chiefs would visit Akinlalu after the security council meeting.
“Those expected on the delegation include the Special Adviser on Security Matters to the state governor, the Commissioner for Information, the Commissioner for Political Affairs, the Commissioner for Transportation, the Attorney General of the State, the Special Adviser on Legal Matters to the governor and service chiefs of the various security agencies.
“I am a rule of law Governor. This matter is being investigated, and any infraction will be dealt with within the context of the law. I have ordered a security council meeting on this incident and others, such as fears of spill-over from Kwara banditry attacks.
“I sent my condolences to the victims of this unfortunate incident. I urge the good people of Akinlalu to keep calm as our government acts on the matter. I feel their pains, but investigations are ongoing,” Adeleke said.
Political Group Condemns the Killings
Meanwhile, the Omoluabi Progressives, a group affiliated with former Governor Rauf Aregbesola, condemned the shootings, describing the actions of the Amotekun operatives as “reckless and lawless.”
In a statement signed by its Publicity and Organising Secretary, Oluwaseun Abosede, the group stated, “We condemn, in the strongest terms, this act of lawlessness and lack of professional restraint on the part of those entrusted with the duty of protecting our people.”
The group further said that the Adeleke administration should be held accountable for the actions of its security operatives and demanded that those responsible be prosecuted.
“To the good people of Akinlalu, we extend our heartfelt sympathy. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who lost their loved ones, the injured, and all residents who have been thrown into fear and mourning. Losing three children from one family by any standard is calamitous,” the statement added.
okay.ng reports that the group also called on the state government to compensate victims, provide adequate medical care for those injured, and ensure justice for those who died in the tragic encounter.
Police React, Assure Justice
The Osun State Police Command confirmed that the Amotekun operatives involved in the killings had been identified and assured that the culprits would face justice.
Police spokesperson Abiodun Ojelabi said, “We met the affected people in the community, and they have given us their statement, and we are still investigating.”
He added that some of the operatives had gone into hiding but promised they would be apprehended soon.
Community Accounts of the Attack
Residents of Akinlalu claimed that three people were killed and ten others injured during the violent encounter. They alleged that the operatives invaded the community without provocation and later took away the corpses of those they shot.
An indigene, Kamardeen Babarinde, recounted, “That was on Monday, and the Amotekun men sent their operatives to Aba Oba. But those suspected thieves, while being moved from Aba Oba to Akinlalu, engaged in physical struggle with those Amotekun operatives that came to receive them from the villagers who arrested them.”
He further described how the situation escalated the next day, leading to gunfire that killed three residents.
Another resident, Jeleel, confirmed that the operatives arrived in three vans and shot unarmed people indiscriminately.
Amotekun Corps’ Defense
Responding to the incident, Osun Amotekun Corps spokesperson Idowu Yusuf said three people were killed during a clash between its operatives and suspected hoodlums, not innocent residents.
He explained that the operatives were ambushed by armed men while responding to a distress call about suspected bandits invading farmlands.
According to Yusuf, “Despite the intensity of the attack, the Amotekun operatives successfully overpowered the assailants. In the aftermath of the encounter, three lives were confirmed lost, including individuals believed to be among the attackers.”
