Tragedy struck in the Ijeda-Ijesa community of Osun State as an operative of the Amotekun Corps, identified as Samuel Tope, was killed during a violent confrontation with a soldier.
Another Amotekun operative, whose name was not immediately disclosed, sustained serious injuries in the incident.
DAILY GAZETTE learnt that the clash stemmed from tensions that escalated between members of the local Amotekun Corps and a soldier, Fiyinfoluwa Opejobi, who had returned to the community to conclude his marriage ceremony.
A resident of Ijeda-Ijesa, who spoke under the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation, narrated the series of events leading up to the confrontation:
“But on Friday, he (Opejobi) was invited into the Amotekun office in Ijeda for questioning. There was a robbery incident and Opejobi was invited by the Amotekun men for questioning over the incident. An operative of the corps raised allegations against him. He honoured the invite on Friday.
“But on Saturday, after he had concluded his mini marriage ceremony which brought him back home, he told two of his friends that joined him for the event that someone had made a false allegation against him and they went into town to look for the person. They eventually found the man who reported him around the Ijesa Ijesa Roundabout. They beat him to a state of coma and left the scene.”
Outraged by the attack on their colleague, Amotekun personnel reportedly mobilised and began searching for the soldier and his companions.
Another community resident, who also requested anonymity and lives along Ijebu-Jesa Road, said the confrontation eventually erupted at a hotel where the soldiers were located.
“The soldier and his friends were wearing military attire, but they were not fully kitted. When information got to them that colleagues of the man whom they beat were looking for them, they left their rooms and waited in front of the hotel for them.
“I was inside the hotel when all that was going on. Before the Amotekun men got to the hotel premises, those soldiers were already waiting for them. It was during their clash that Tope Samuel was killed. During the clash, Opejobi was also injured. He had an open wound at the upper part of his head.”
In a statement released by the Osun Amotekun Corps Commander, Mr. Adekunle Omoyele, the organisation accused Opejobi of launching an unprovoked attack.
“The incident occurred around 5:45 pm when a soldier, identified as Opejobi Fiyinfoluwa, who was recently recruited into the Nigerian Army, launched an unprovoked assault on the Amotekun operative.
“Fiyinfoluwa, dressed in military camouflage, approached the Amotekun Station in Ijebu-Jesa with hostile intent. He allegedly declared that part of his reason for joining the army was to ‘deal decisively’ with Amotekun personnel. Shortly after, while Officer Tope was riding a motorcycle, the soldier and unidentified accomplices stopped him and launched a violent attack.
“The assailants reportedly struck Tope on the head with a blunt object, causing him to fall from the bike. The brutal assault reportedly lasted for about 20 minutes, with no intervention, leaving Tope in a pool of blood. After the attack, the soldier reportedly fled the scene on a commercial motorcycle.”
Omoyele added that the matter had been reported to both the Divisional Police Headquarters in Ijebu-Jesa and the Military Barracks in Ede.
When contacted, Osun State Police Command spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi, confirmed the incident and said an investigation was underway.
“Based on the report they made, it seems the Amotekun personnel and the soldier had a misunderstanding before yesterday (Saturday).
“Yesterday, according to what they said, the soldier attacked the two Amotekun men. And in the process, he brought out his jackknife, which he used on both of them.
“The Amotekun officers sustained injuries, and in the process of taking them to the hospital, one of them gave up the ghost, while the other one is still receiving treatment at the hospital. We are going on with our investigation.”
Efforts to get an official response from the Nigerian Army were unsuccessful. A text message response from a military officer, identified as the Chief of Staff to the Commander of the barracks, read:
“Kindly go to the barracks, Sir and confirm accordingly.”
