A member of the Osun State Amotekun Corps, identified as Samuel Tope, has been killed in a violent altercation involving soldiers in the Ijeda-Ijesa community.
Another operative, whose identity remains unknown, sustained serious injuries during the clash.
Sources from the community, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the incident stemmed from a confrontation involving a soldier, Fiyinfoluwa Opejobi, a native of Ijeda-Ijesa, who had returned home to conclude his traditional marriage on Saturday.
According to a resident, Opejobi had been invited to the Amotekun office on Friday for questioning in connection with a robbery case after an operative raised allegations against him. He reportedly honoured the invitation without incident.
However, after finalizing his marriage rites the next day, Opejobi allegedly confided in two friends that he had been falsely accused and decided to confront the informant. They located and assaulted the man at the Ijesa Roundabout, leaving him unconscious before fleeing.
Outraged by the attack, other Amotekun operatives launched a search for the assailants. According to another eyewitness living along Ijebu-Jesa road, the operatives traced Opejobi and his companions—dressed in partial military uniform—to a local hotel. A violent confrontation broke out at the scene.
“The soldiers were already waiting outside the hotel when the Amotekun men arrived. During the fight, Tope Samuel was killed, and Opejobi sustained a head injury,” the eyewitness recounted.
In a statement issued by the Osun State Amotekun Commander, Adekunle Omoyele, the Corps alleged that Opejobi attacked Tope unprovoked.
“The incident happened at about 5:45 p.m. The soldier, recently recruited into the Nigerian Army, stormed the Amotekun office in military camouflage, expressing intent to ‘deal with’ Amotekun operatives. Later, while Tope was riding a motorcycle, the soldier and unidentified accomplices stopped and attacked him, hitting him with a blunt object on the head,” the statement read.
Omoyele said the attack lasted about 20 minutes without any intervention, leaving Tope lifeless in a pool of blood. The soldier allegedly fled the scene on a commercial motorcycle. The case has been reported to the Divisional Police Headquarters in Ijebu-Jesa and the Military Barracks in Ede.
Confirming the incident, Osun Police Command spokesperson, SP Abiodun Ojelabi, said investigations were underway.
“According to reports, there had been a prior misunderstanding. On Saturday, the soldier reportedly attacked the Amotekun operatives using a jackknife. One of the officers died en route to the hospital, while the other is still receiving treatment,” Ojelabi said.
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Efforts to obtain an official response from the Nigerian Army were unsuccessful. A message from a senior officer, said to be Chief of Staff to the Commander of the Ede Barracks, simply read, “Kindly go to the barracks, Sir, and confirm accordingly.”
