The Oyo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Operation Amotekun, has said that its men killed a leader of armed robbers and not a student of the University of Ibadan as being claimed by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
The NANS and the family of Akolade Gbadebo, a 400-level student of the Federal College of Education (Special) Oyo, affiliated with the University of Ibadan, had accused Amotekun of killing the Nigerian student. They claimed the slain student was not an armed robber contrary to the claims of the security network.
The Oyo State Commandant of the Amotekun, Col. Olayanju Olayinka (retd.) in a statement on Saturday claimed that the Amotekun men had an encounter with a three-man robbery gang and killed its leaders. He disclosed that the two surviving members of the gang were handed over to the Atiba Police State in Oyo town.
The statement read in part, “On Sunday 20th December 2020, at about 0040hrs (past 12midnight), a mobile patrol team of “Amotekun operatives from Oyo East and Atiba Local Government Areas ran into an illegal roadblock mounted around Sabo area in Oyo town, opposite old Isale Oyo Community Bank along Oyo – Ogbomoso expressway.
“While the team was attempting to clear the barricade to facilitate smooth passage for interstate commercial vehicles plying the road, a group of armed men suspected to be robbers fired at the Amotekun operation and a gun duel ensued.
“In the process, one of the robbers nicknamed Akin Sarz was neutralized and two other gang members were arrested at the scene with a locally made pistol with cartridges.
“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 gang leader and that they have been terrorizing the general area of Afijio and Oyo township for some time.”
When contacted, the younger brother of the deceased, Habeeb, told newsmen that his brother was not an armed robber nor a cultist.
He said the claim of the Amotekun commandant was false, adding that the security outfit was “concocting lies to cover their wicked act.”
He said, “My brother was not an armed robber, they are just looking for different lies to cover their wickedness, their first reaction to the killing of my brother was different. They said there was no killing either of a student or of anybody.
“I believe they did not know that the killing would attract public attention and now that it has become a public discussion, they are fabricating another lie and that is why they are now labeling him as an armed robber.
“The two persons they claimed to arrest at the scene even said they arrested them where they were eating. They said they did not know my brother, so you can see that they are not saying the truth.”
