The Nigeria Police Force have remained silent after Ayodeji Adepoju, the Divisional Police Officer of the Igbon Police Station in the Surulere Local Government Area of Oyo State, reportedly shot and injured a member of the Oyo State Security Network Agency known as Amotekun on Friday.
The DPO ordered the arrest of two operatives of the Amotekun Corps for arresting herdsmen whose cattle were grazing on the farm in Gambari, allegedly destroying crops in the process, according to the Punch.
However, some of the herdsmen were said to have reported the case to the DPO who ordered the arrest of the two Amotekun operatives, Jenyo and Olatunji Mayowa, who were investigating the case.
The DPO reportedly said the Amotekun was not set up to arrest herdsmen but to go after armed robbers.
Araoye Amoo, the unit Commander of Amotekun in the area, in a video, explained that he went to the police station with his men to secure the release of the two officials.
He said he was discussing with the station guard when the DPO stormed out of his office, reportedly collected a gun from a policeman and shot one of the Amotekun men in the leg.
The DPO repeatedly claimed that he overheard the Amotekun corps say they were coming to the station to kill him.
Amoo said one of the Amotekun corps who escaped from the scene was pursued and disarmed.
The Amotekun unit commander said the police checked and discovered that the gun which was forcefully collected from the Amotekun was not even loaded.
He said all the guns which his men carried to the station were not loaded because they did not go there to fight but to secure the release of those arrested.
Col Olayinka Olayanju (retd), the Amotekun Commander in Oyo State, confirmed that one of the security outfit’s operatives was shot and injured, adding that the injured Amotekun official had been taken to the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso.
Olugbenga Fadeyi, the Public Relations Officer of the Oyo State Police Command, in a statement confirmed the altercation between the herdsmen and Amotekun operatives.
The statement was, however, silent on the shooting of the Amotekun operative.
“It was a report from the Secretary of Miyetti Allah, one, Oroji Allah ‘m’ at Orile Igbon Police Station that some Amotekun operatives planned to set ablaze Fulani ‘Igaa’. A team of policemen was sent to the scene and brought them to the station for amicable settlement by the DPO.
“Not too long, Amotekun corps numbering about 30 invaded the station and conducted themselves in an unruly and riotous manner. Three of them were arrested. The Area Commander Ogbomoso is handling the matter,” the statement read.
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