Hoodlums Attack, Injure Four Amotekun Operatives In Oyo

Four operatives of the Oyo State Security Network known as Amotekun were severely injured after hoodlums attacked them in Ibadan, Oyo State, Southwest Nigeria.

The attack victims, which occurred at Odeyale Community in Ona Ara Local Government on Friday, are currently receiving treatment at the intensive care unit of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.

HumAngle gathered that the Amotekun operatives were in the area after receiving a distress call from landlords to help dislodge hoodlums unleashing mayhem in the community.

In a statement to confirm the incident Friday night, Olayinka Olagunju, the Amotekun Commandant in Oyo State, noted that an investigation has commenced to unravel what transpired during the operation.

“The coordinator of Amotekun operations at Ona Ara, Mr Adelakun said that the hoodlums attacked them with machetes and axes,” Olagunju said in the statement.

“Four of the operatives were severely wounded and are in intensive care at the University College Hospital (UCH) for treatment.”.

Meanwhile, Olugbenga Fadeyi, Police Public Relations Officer in Oyo State, says normalcy has been restored in the area.

Fadeyi, who also confirmed the incident, said some suspects had been arrested.

He added that more security operatives had been dispatched to prevent further breach of peace in the community.

The Friday incident was the first time operatives of Amotekun which was launched on Jan. 9, 2020, would be coming under physical attack in the state.

Amotekun is a regional security arrangement that, began in July 2019 after governors of the six Southwest states, namely Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo agreed to its creation.

Seyi Makinde, Governor of Oyo State, signed the bill for its creation into law in March 2020, four days after the state House of Assembly passed the Oyo State Security Network Agency Bill 2020.

The security network was created to curb rising cases of insecurity in the Southwest. Speaking during the official flag-off, Kayode Fayemi, Governor of Ekiti State, explained that the creation of Amotekun was informed by the need to arrest the menace of insecurity that has afflicted the country.

On Jan. 27, the state’s governor deployed about 200 of Amotekun to the hotspots in two zones in Oke Ogun area of the states after clashes between herders and farmers increased.

The two zones have over the last few months been home to multiple cases of killings and kidnappings. In the two zones, many residents had alleged that the masterminds of the crimes were members of the Fulani community.