The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Osun State has accused the Amotekun Corps in the state of being a political arm of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, government.
The party alleged that the Governor Ademola Adeleke administration is using the security agency to oppress, suppress and victimise members of the opposition party in the state.
Making these allegations during a press conference held to address the alleged extra judicial activities of Osun Amotekun against their members, APC also called on President Bola Tinubu and the security agencies to urgently come to the aid inhabitants of Osun State.
Osun APC Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi accused the Adeleke administration of using the agency as a decoy to arm the party’s political thugs with a directive to unleash terror on the members of the opposition and their supporters.
He said, “It was gathered that the Governor Adeleke-led administration is using a decoy to arm the party’s political thugs with a directive to unleash terror on the members of the opposition and their supporters.
“Information has it that the leadership of the PDP in the state specifically sent words to the leaderships of the ruling party in all the local government council areas to forward the names of the hardened political thugs in their constituencies with a view to recruiting them for political terrorism against the opposition.
“The chiefs were arrested last Tuesday and granted administrative bail but were later invited and re-arrested on Sunday by the retired Chief Superintendent of Police who at a time acted as the Chief Security Officer to Governor Adeleke, Field Commander of Amotekun Corps, Mr Adekunle Omoyele, who has a history of human rights violation while in service and was gravely indicted and recommended for prosecution and demotion by the Report on Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and other matters.
“The number of the anomalies traceable to the Amotekun nefarious activities under Omoyele is legendary ranging from the recruitment of thugs, cultists and dismissed police officers; usurpation of police constitutional roles through unlawful arrest, detention and prosecution of innocent citizens; economic sabotage through interception, arrest and extortion of trailers of rice coming into the state thereby creating economic hardship through price rises of the food stable; illegal dabbling into marital issues; rivaling and ridiculing the police and other security agencies; and illegal arrests and extortion of gold miners thereby causing blockades to state revenue generation.”
The Osun APC said it is disturbing that Amotekun Corps members are now criminalising the community leaders because of politics, a development capable of outrightly complicating the security situation of the area.
The party revealed that leaders of Itaapa community, in consultation with Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Nigeria Police in the area, recently organised a local security group to protect the residents.
Olabisi added, “In view of the foregoing, we are charging the Omoyele-led pliable and political Amotekun Corps to stop lying on the arrest of the Itaapa chiefs and be bold enough to show the world the list of the people in the gulag of the oppressive and vendetta-driven highly controversial security outfit and the reasons for their arrest.
“We are appealing to the Inspector-General of Police and the National Security Adviser(NSA) to urgently come to the aid of the oppressed inhabitants of Osun State who are being traumatised by the illegal activities of the Osun State Security Network Agency and Amotekun Corps.”
A former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Adebayo Adeleke while calling on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the situation in the state, said the APC as a political party have lost confidence in the Osun Amotekun.
Reacting, the Osun Amotekun Corps, Isaac Omoyele debunked allegations levelled against the security agency.
Speaking with journalists in Osogbo, Omoyele said, “There is nothing like witch-hunting. A notorious criminal with pump action and army camouflage was arrested. We know the leaders of the vigilantes and their headquarters and he said he came from Ibadan with arms to unleash terror in the community.”
The Osun Amotekun boss alleged that the Osun APC was interpreting the arrest as undue political interference.
“I don’t know why people are putting undue political interference when we are doing our job. He has confessed to the crime. He said he procured the ammunition from an armoury which we are investigating. It is not political but criminal.
“The suspects in question mentioned some names. I don’t know whether they are chiefs since there was nothing to show that they are chiefs. They are not chiefs but suspects in this case.
“In a case of this nature, you cannot hurriedly release such a suspect. Who knows what is contained in the Ibadan armoury or what it contains. It will be unfair for us not to investigate this matter. Whatever we are doing is under the purview of the law. We have applied for court order and that is the proper thing to do,” he said.
On the allegation of bribery, Omoyele called on those making the allegations to come forward with proof.
“Any form of bribery allegation should be proved. N5 million is not a chicken change. I don’t think that allegation is sustainable,” he concluded.
DAILY POST gathered that five members of Itapa community were arrested by the Osun Amotekun Corps over alleged kidnapping and attempted murder.
The Amotekun Corps also debunked the reports that its operatives has arrested any community chiefs in any part of the state.
Osun Amotekun in denying the report also stated that the allegations were false, baseless and designed to undermine its integrity and professionalism.
However, on Tuesday, the security agency paraded five suspects – Ayodele Ogunsola, Lekan Adeyeri, Ariyo Dare, Sunday Adeyeri and Oladele Adeyeri. They were arrested in Itapa, Atakunmosa East local government area of the state.
Omoyele said the suspects were arrested after Amotekun received reports that unidentified armed squads in camouflage uniform were moving suspiciously around the town with sophisticated weapons.
He revealed that some exhibits were recovered from them – including a pump action gun and criminal charms.
