The death toll from Tuesday’s reported shootings by Osun Amotekun operatives in Akinlalu town has risen to four, after one of the critically injured victims died at the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, early Saturday.
Residents had alleged that Amotekun operatives invaded the community on Tuesday, shooting sporadically at the town centre, which left three people dead and eight others critically injured. The security outfit, however, maintained it was caught in a 30-minute shootout with the victims.
Speaking on behalf of the community, Mr. Babarinde Olamide said the operatives stormed Akinlalu in three vehicles, claiming to be searching for a suspect who seized their locally-fabricated weapon. He alleged that the operatives opened fire on residents and used cutlasses on those attempting to flee, before taking away the corpses and the injured.
Governor Ademola Adeleke has ordered an investigation into the incident and dispatched a government delegation to the community. In a statement by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the governor commiserated with the families of the victims, assuring that justice would be done.
“I am a rule of law Governor. This matter is being investigated and any infraction will be dealt with within the context of the law,” the statement read. Adeleke also urged residents to remain calm as investigations continue.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state condemned the killings, describing the actions of the Amotekun operatives as extra-judicial. The party’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, called on Governor Adeleke to ensure transparency in the probe, warning against turning Amotekun into an “agent of intimidation” ahead of the electioneering period.
