OSUN BLOODBATH: Death Toll Climbs To Four As Adeleke Orders Probe Into Amotekun Shootings — APC Slams Security Outfit For ‘Extra-Judicial Killings’

Vanguard online news has taken to its handle and announced that, the death toll from last Tuesday’s bloody clash in Akinlalu town, Ifedayo Local Government Area of Osun State, has risen to four after one of the critically injured victims succumbed to injuries at the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, in the early hours of Saturday.

Residents allege that operatives of the Osun Amotekun Corps stormed the community at midday, shooting indiscriminately and unleashing violence that left at least three dead on the spot and eight others gravely injured. According to eyewitness accounts, the security operatives stormed Akinlalu in three vehicles, allegedly over a dispute involving a seized locally-fabricated weapon belonging to one of their men.

Speaking on behalf of the aggrieved community, Mr. Babarinde Olamide accused the operatives of brutalizing fleeing residents. “They came into town and started shooting sporadically. Anyone who attempted to run was hacked with cutlasses. Three people were killed instantly, while many others were critically injured. Shockingly, the operatives carted away the bodies of the deceased along with the injured victims. Sadly, one of them has now died in hospital despite surgery,” he recounted.

In swift response, Governor Ademola Adeleke has ordered a full-scale investigation into the killings, assuring residents that his administration would not shield anyone found culpable. In a statement by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the governor said:

> “I am a rule-of-law governor. This matter is under investigation and any infraction will be addressed within the ambit of the law. I have summoned a Security Council meeting on this incident and on reports of possible spillovers from Kwara banditry attacks. My condolences go to the victims and their families. I urge the good people of Akinlalu to remain calm while government takes decisive action. I feel their pains, but the law must take its course.”

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state has strongly condemned the Amotekun Corps, accusing them of engaging in extra-judicial killings. The party challenged Governor Adeleke to ensure transparency in the probe and to bring all perpetrators to book.

The incident has once again raised concerns about the conduct and accountability of state-backed security outfits in Nigeria’s Southwest, with many residents demanding justice and the reform of Amotekun’s operations.