FRESH facts have emerged on why the Inspector General of Police (IGP) ordered the sealing of the Osun State Amotekun Corps’ operational base and its Ife Central Office after a brutal attack that left several residents of Akinlalu community in Ife North Local Government Area dead and many others injured.
News Point Nigeria reports that the move followed the killing of three members of the same family and the murder of another resident during an alleged invasion of Akinlalu Market Square by Amotekun operatives last week. Several others reportedly sustained gunshot wounds in the violent operation.
The Osun State Commandant of Amotekun, Isaac Omoyele, later claimed he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt, a statement dismissed by police investigators as misleading.
Following preliminary findings, the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Nigeria Police Force, under the directive of the IGP, arrested 25 Amotekun corps members on Wednesday night. The team also sealed their armoury base at Oke-Fia, Osogbo, and the Ife Central operational office pending further investigation.
A combined team from the IGP’s Intelligence Response Unit, led by SP Rotimi Ogunmuyiwa, alongside the Deputy Commissioner of CID, Bayonle Suliaman, on Friday stormed the Amotekun headquarters at Powerline, Osogbo, to inspect the facility.
During the inspection, the team reportedly discovered five detention cells, including underground compartments allegedly used by Amotekun to detain suspects unlawfully.
One detainee, who had allegedly spent over six weeks in custody, claimed that operatives demanded ₦150,000 for bail, saying he was arrested for selling Indian hemp.
The police team described the detentions as “a clear violation of citizens’ rights”, ordering that all suspects be immediately transferred to the nearest police divisional headquarters for proper investigation.
Reacting to the development, the Osun State House of Assembly condemned the police action, insisting that Amotekun was legally established under state law to complement conventional security agencies.
Speaker Adewale Egbedun described the IGP’s move as “deeply troubling and constitutionally offensive”, warning that if any breach of security occurred due to Amotekun’s shutdown, the police would be held responsible.
“At a time when insecurity is rising in neighbouring states, this is when Amotekun should be strengthened, not sealed,” the Speaker said.
“If any breakdown of law and order happens because of this closure, the police and federal agencies will bear the full responsibility.”
Egbedun also alleged political interference, accusing Senator Francis Fadahunsi and former Governor Gboyega Oyetola of influencing the police action, a claim that immediately sparked political uproar.
Senator Francis Fadahunsi, representing Osun East Senatorial District, dismissed the Assembly’s allegations, describing Amotekun as “a den of killers and extortionists.”
He accused the outfit of murdering 12 people in his senatorial district since February, claiming he personally invited the police after repeated killings and unrest.
“This is not about APC or PDP. From February till date, I have lost 12 people to Amotekun’s bullets,” Fadahunsi stated.
“They have turned their guns on innocent citizens instead of protecting them. I won’t keep quiet while my constituents are being killed.”
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Comrade Waheed Lawal, the coalition accused both the Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) of failing to prevent Amotekun’s alleged brutality.
They demanded:
A judicial panel of inquiry under the Tribunals of Inquiry Law, Cap 138,
Prosecution of all indicted officers,
Compensation for victims’ families, and
Strict enforcement of citizens’ rights under Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution.
Governor Ademola Adeleke, in a statement through his spokesperson Olawale Rasheed, commended the IGP for launching a full investigation but urged that the process be conducted “within the bounds of the law and fairness.”
The Governor emphasized that his administration supports lawful security operations, adding that justice must prevail for the victims of the Akinlalu killings.
Meanwhile, the Akinlalu community, through its spokesperson Olamide Babarinde, raised fresh alarms that some dismissed Amotekun officers were threatening to reinvade the community if residents continued to demand justice.
“We are still living in fear,” Babarinde said. “The same people who killed our brothers are still roaming free. They have vowed to return if we don’t keep quiet.”