The Oyo State Security Network Agency, popularly known as Amotekun Corps, says a student recently killed by its men in Oyo town was an armed robber not a student.
The National Association of Nigerian Students had claimed that Amotekun killed Akolade Gbadebo, a 400 Level student of the Federal College of Education (Special) Oyo with affiliation to the University of Ibadan. The students’ association said Gbadebo was not an armed robber.
The PUNCH quoted Amotekun, in a statement made available by its Commandant, Col. Olayinka Olayanju (retd.), as saying that the security network said its men had an encounter with a three-man robbery gang and killed its leader. Amotekun added that the two surviving members of the robbery gang were handed over to the Atiba Police Station in Oyo town.
The statement read, “On Sunday 20th December, 2020, at about 0040hrs ( past 12 midnight), a mobile patrol team of Amotekun operatives from Oyo East and Atiba Local Government Areas ran into an illegal road block mounted around Sabo area in Oyo town, opposite old Isale Oyo Community Bank along the Oyo-Ogbomoso Expressway.
“While the team was attempting to clear the barricade to facilitate a smooth passage for interstate commercial vehicles plying the road, a group of armed men, suspected to be robbers, fired at the Amotekun operatives and a gun duel ensued.
In the process, one of the robbers, nicknamed Akin Sarz, was neutralised and two others gang members were arrested at the scene with a locally-made pistol with cartridges.
“The men of Nigeria Police from Atiba were called to the scene while Amotekun operatives handed over the two arrested armed robbers along with the corpse of Akin Sarz to men of the Atiba police. The Atiba police later handed over the surviving gang members to the State CID, Iyangaku for further investigation.
“Preliminary investigation conducted at Atiba Police Post revealed the identity of the deceased as a student of the Federal College of Education Special (SPED), Oyo and a known cultist. The gang members confirmed that the deceased was their leader and that they had been terrorising the general area of Afijio and Oyo town for some time.
“The questions to ask are as follows: What would a responsible student be doing with a gun and bullets at a barricaded spot on a major highway in the Sabo Area (Atiba LG) a distance of about 10km from Akinmorin in the Afijio Local Government Area by 1am?
“What was the so-called student doing with a locally-made pistol (lethal weapon) at the spot where he was shot? Could it be a coincidence that he was in company with two other gang members who were neither students nor family members at about 1am without any criminal intents?
“Why did leaders of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Oyo State hide the fact that they visited the scene of the incident on Tuesday, 22nd December, 2020 at about 2pm in company with members of Nigeria Police and the DSS?
“Can NANS, Oyo State deny the fact that members of the community at the scene confirmed the criminal activities of the deceased and his gang members in the area for some time?
“It is sad that a responsible organisation would allow itself to be used as a tool to discredit Amotekun and score cheap political points against the state government.
“It is also obvious that some persons with criminal and malicious intents who are being frustrated and denied freedom of action by Amotekun Corps are out to fight back and discredit the state government all in an attempt to gain cheap political points and misinform the general public.
