In response to the killing of some residents of Akinlalu town by operatives of the Amotekun Osun on Tuesday, Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke has ordered a full investigation into the incident and dispatched a high-level government delegation to the community.
A statement by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, said the governor received a preliminary report from his Special Adviser on Security Matters and expressed deep shock over the deaths.
Governor Adeleke extended his condolences to the families of the victims and prayed for divine comfort for those who lost loved ones in the incident.
According to the statement, a State Security Council meeting has been scheduled for Monday to deliberate on the matter and other emerging security threats in the state.
The governor directed that a high-powered delegation, including the Special Adviser on Security Matters, the Commissioner for Information, and service chiefs, visit Akinlalu after the meeting.
“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 spillover from Kwara banditry attacks.
“I send 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 pain, but investigations are ongoing,” he added.
Meanwhile, death toll from Tuesday’s reported shooting by Osun Amotekun operatives in Akinlalu town has risen to four, following the death of one of the critically injured victims in the early hours of Saturday.
Residents of Akinlalu in Ife North local government area had accused Amotekun operatives of invading their community and shooting indiscriminately at the town’s centre, killing three people and injuring eight others.
However, the Amotekun Corps maintained that its men were caught in a 30-minute shootout with the victims.
This was disclosed by the security agency in a statement issued by its Public Relations Officer, Yusuf Idowu Abass on Tuesday.
However, speaking on behalf of the community, Babarinde Olamide alleged that the Amotekun operatives stormed the town on Tuesday afternoon on the claim that a suspect had seized one of their locally made weapons.
Olamide said the operatives arrived in three vehicles and began shooting sporadically upon reaching the town’s centre, attacking those who attempted to flee.
“In the process, three persons were killed on the spot and several others severely injured. Surprisingly, the operatives took away the dead bodies and those critically injured.
“We later learnt that one of the injured victims died at the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, after surgery early on Saturday,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Osun State Police Command has vowed to ensure that those responsible for the killings are identified and prosecuted.
The Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Abiodun Ojelabi, said during an interview on Saturday that the operatives involved had already been identified.
“We met the affected people in the community, and they have given us their statements. We are still investigating,” Ojelabi said.
When asked if the Amotekun operatives had been invited for questioning, Ojelabi confirmed that several suspects were on the run but assured that they would be apprehended.
“Some of them have been identified, and there is no place to hide. Many are on the run, but definitely, we will get them unless they leave Osun State,” he added.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress, APC, the main opposition party in the state has condemned the incident.
The party described it as an act of extra-judicial killing and urged the governor to ensure that the truth is not concealed.
In a statement signed by its Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, the party warned against turning Amotekun into an instrument of intimidation, especially as the state moves closer to the electioneering period.
Adeleke orders probe into Akinlalu killings, as four confirmed dead