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– We raided indian hemp spot not OPC office – Amotekun

Shina Abubakar, Osogbo

One person was reportedly killed during a clash between operatives of Amotekun in Osun and members of the Oodua People’s Congress in Ikire.

It was gathered that some street urchins were in the town were having altercation and Amotekun corps was deployed to restore law and order, but the team, it was gathered raided some hot spot before the incident.

Vanguard learnt that the team raided two hot spots without any issue, but on getting to the third spot, it has an altercation with the OPC member at the base which resulted in a shootout.

Two persons, Omikunle Qoyum, Sodiq Aderonbi were shot and Qoyum died before on the way to the hospital.

Speaking with newsmen, Sodiq said they were shot without any provocation after the Amotekun team raided the spot. However Amotekun Corps Commandant, Brigadier-General Bashir Adewinmbi said the team shot in self-defence.

According to Sodiq, “On Monday evening we were at zone II around Ori-Eru in Ikire when the Amotekun corps invaded our base and attacked us. They shot two of us. Omikunle Koyum, who is now dead, I was shot on my thigh and back.

“We don’t know our offence. I am OPC zonal coordinator at the zone. The Amotekun corps raided many places and junctions in Ikire. I was eating when they came to attack us, my apprentice wanted to run but I told them not to run since we are not robbers”, he said.

But Brigadier-General Adewinmbi said, “We can never wage war with the OPC, we are waging war against criminals. We didn’t have any issue in any OPC office. We went straight to the Indian hemp smoking joint and whoever is found in the Indian hemp smoking joint is assumed to be a criminal.

“They are first to open fire on the Amotekun and in self-defence, we responded. We did not target any OPC. That wasn’t the first place we went to, we have been to two places before going to where they open fire on Amotekun.

“In fact when they arrived at Ikire, we went to see the Local Government Chairman and Divisional Police Officer to tell them what the team came to do. They won’t have come to kill OPC and they will go to the Chairman and the Divisional police officer(DPO).

“The hoodlums attacked Amotekun team and it fired back at the hoodlums. We don’t want to know any OPC or Amotekun at Indian hemp smoking joint, what are they doing at the smoking joint as OPC members for goodness sake”.

Meanwhile, Osun Police Spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola confirmed that Amotekun shot two OPC members while they were on duty to return normalcy during a breakdown of law and order.

“There was a breakdown of law and order in the place and Amotekun was there to intervene. In the process they shot two OPC men, one died at the hospital while the other was referred from Seventh Day Adventist hospital, Ife to UNIOSUN teaching hospital, Osogbo.

“The area is calm now and our men are on the ground to maintain peace and order”, she said.

Vanguard News Nigeria