Seven persons were reportedly killed when men of the Oyo State Security Network Agency popularly known as Amotekun and some Fulani clashed in Tapa in Ibarapa North local government area of Oyo state.
The Amotekun operatives were said to be on a mission to fish out kidnappers from the area when the incident happened.
But there were conflicting reports of the incident. While one account said that the area was a den of kidnappers, another said that the operatives simply ran into people who were celebrating and started shooting. In the process, many were killed and several others wounded.
An eye witness, Qudus Odugbemi from Tapa, said that a group of youth was celebrating their carnival when they were attacked by Amotekun operatives.
He said, “It all happened that some youth had a carnival around a market square and were permitted to do what they were doing till 10pm, I notice the gathering around 6pm and I invited the Disc Jockey to know what the gathering was all about and who gave them the permission and when was it schedule to end, I was briefed that the king was well informed and that the gathering will be till 10pm, I personally asked the DJ to end things by 9.30pm so everyone could go home before 10pm.
“I left my family house leaving my cousins sitting in front of the house around 9.08pm, I passed the venue of the gathering looking for a bike around 9.15pm, I opted to trek when I couldn’t get a bike to take me, I was trekking down to the garage when I met the Amotekun cops going towards the gathering venue and in less than 2 minutes music stop playing and that was around 9.25pm, I was still able to be hearing people shouting “Is it up to 10pm?
“And that was when I heard gunshots for about 45 minutes, even when I got home, I was still hearing the gunshots going on and on. I logged in to Tapa Indigene Whatsapp group to follow updates on what was going on and that was how I knew 3 of my cousins were shot.
“The venue was just a stone throw to my family house and while they were happily sitting in front of the house, the deceased was hit in the chest at 5 different angle, another lady was hit right under her breast and another in the leg! All three people were my cousins sitting in their house. Over 15 people were shot in different part of their bodies including a pregnant lady.”
He said that the cops knowing what they have done all ran away until their commandant arrived from Ibadan.
But the Commandant, Col. Olayinka Olayanju (retd.), has denied that there were clashes between the men of the corps and Fulani herdsmen in Ibarapa and Oke Ogun axes of Oyo State.
According to him, Amotekun had recently embarked on operations in response to the incessant reports of killings and kidnapping in the area, launching his men launched six operations in four local government areas.
However, he stated that the team in Aiyete was attacked in the forest by suspected bandits, three of whom were killed by men of the Amotekun Corps.
According to him, the operations were fully supported by Fulani leaders in the areas. He added that some Miyetti Allah members were part of the operations.
A statement made available to newsmen after the media briefing by the Commandant stressed that its operatives raided the forests of Ibarapa and Oke Ogun areas of the state in the early hours of Saturday to rid the areas of kidnappers and criminal elements.
The corps paraded one of the suspected kidnappers, Sanni Bello, who was arrested in the forests around Aiyegun in Iwajowa Local Government Area.
The statement read, “Contrary to reports, there was no clash whatsoever between Fulani herdsmen and Amotekun in Ibarapa or Oke Ogun axis of Oyo State.
“When our men entered the forests at Aiyede, they were attacked and a gun battle ensued, which led to the death of three of the attackers. One of our men sustained injuries’ he said.
The police are yet to issue a statement on the incident.
