Amotekun: Ondo students protest colleagues' death

Late Folarera Ademola. Photo: Sahara Reporter

*Accuse Amotekun of killing Ademola

*Student, others attempted to disarm officers during operation  — Amotekun Commander reacts

BUSINESS and commercial activities were paralysed in both Owo and Akure towns, as students of the state owned  Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, protested the death of one of their colleagues, allegedly killed by a personnel of the state security outfit code-named Amotekun.

The victim, Folarera Ademola, was an ND1 student from the Department of Science Laboratory Technology in the institution. They also protested to the palace of the Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Ogunoye before heading to Akure, the state capital. The students after over two hours protest in Owo town, travelled down to Akure, the state capital with the corpse which they used to block the office of the governor, Rotimi Akeredolu..

They blocked the entrance of the governor’s office and gave the “state government a 24-hour ultimatum to hand over the said officer to the Nigeria police for proper prosecution, take charge of the deceased’s Burial, and compensate the family.

Speaking with newsmen, the Students’ Union President, Olorunda Oluwafemi, confirmed that the boy was shot on the 27th of June by an officer of the Amotekun in front of his parents’ house.  

Oluwafemi added that the deceased suffered the gunshot wounds for 10 days before he was taken to the federal medical center Owo, where he died on Thursday. In a swift response, the state commander of Amotekun, Chief Àdetunji Adeleye in a statement expressed  dismay and sadness on the news of the student’s death.

Adeleye while explaining what  led to the unfortunate death of the student, said that “In  its avowed determination to ensure that Ondo State was rid of criminal elements, the state Amotekun Corps was investigating the case of a syndicate that specialized in attacking Okada riders with dangerous weapons and dispossessing them of their motorcycles in the process.

“Luck however ran out of one of the syndicates who was given a hot chase into a building in Owo by men of the Amotekun Corps where they met 15 other members of the gang, with seven of the men stark naked inside the room filled with smoke. Four motorcycles were also found inside the building.

“After introducing themselves, the gang members struggled to disarm the operatives whose alarm attracted the other two operatives outside. In an attempt to apprehend the suspect, they swung on men of the Corps, trying to disarm them and in the course of the struggle, one of their riffles triggered off and hit one of the suspects and an Amotekun officer.

“At that instance none of them told Amotekun officers that they were students. Our men eventually overpowered the suspects, arrested and took them to the Corps Office in Owo where they were detained. The incident occurred on 27th and 28th of June, 2022. He was later released on health ground, promising to return to the corps custody so as to continue investigation

“The suspect left our facility on same day, 11 days after the incident, to get first aid treatment with the promise to return in continuation of the investigation. Surprisingly, the news of the dead of the injured suspect’s filtered yesterday,11 days after the incident occurred.

“We sincerely register our condolences to the family and friends of the deceased while we continue with our indepth and thorough investigation to the real cause of his death."

Adeleye said that “The Ondo State Amotekun Corps, however wishes to assure the public that it will work with stakeholders including NANS, the Polytechnic Community and family of the victim to ensure that justice was timely served.

Culled from Vanguard