Seven killed as Amotekun operatives clash with gunmen in Oyo

Men of the Oyo State Security Network Agency better known as Amotekun and some gunmen clashed in Aiyete, Ibarapa north local government area of Oyo state on Saturday.

Residents of the area who spoke with TheCable said seven people were killed in the clash.

Abdul Ganiyu, a resident of Aiyete, said trouble started after some Amoteken corps responded to a distress call from some villagers over activities of suspected herdsmen.

Ganiyu said one Usman Okebi, an indigene of Okebi village, and his two sons were killed in the clash.

He added that some of the gunmen who sustained injuries fled into the bush.

When contacted, Olayinka Olayanju, commandant of Amotekun in Oyo state, said he was on his way to the affected area to ascertain the cause of the clash.

Olugbenga Fadeyi, police public relations officer in the state, said policemen had been drafted to the area to restore peace.

When the outfit was inaugurated on November 18, 2020, Seyi Makinde, governor of the state, said he should be held responsible for the actions of the corps.

Allegations of high-handedness and extrajudicial killings have been levelled against the corps in recent times.

Commenting on this when he featured on an ARISE TV programme earlier on Saturday, Wole Soyinka, Nobel laureate, said Amotekun, must not transform into another form of the special anti-robbery squad (SARS).