Soldiers have reportedly killed an Amotekun operative identified as Samuel Tope during a clash in Ijeda Ijesa community, Osun State.
A second Amotekun operative reportedly sustained serious injury in the clash.
According to a source, a soldier, identified as Fiyinfoluwa Opejobi, an Ijeda Ijesa indigene, visited home to hold his marriage ceremony scheduled for last Saturday.
A day before the scheduled wedding, Amotekun operatives reportedly invited Opejobi into their office in Ijeda for questioning in connection with a robbery incident.
An operative of the corps had reportedly tipped his colleagues off that Opejobi was involved in a robbery incident.
The accused soldier honoured the invitation on Friday and was released to go.
The following day, he went for his mini marriage ceremony. But once done with it, he allegedly informed his colleagues that someone had falsely accused him of robbery.
Opejobi and one of his friends subsequently set out to track the person. They reportedly found him around the Ijeda Ijesa Roundabout.
The two soldiers allegedly beat the man until he was unconscious and left him there.
Sources claimed the colleagues of the attacked Amotekun operative formed a search party to fish out the people who beat their colleagues so mercilessly.
They reportedly combed the town for the two soldiers until they found them in a hotel.
The two soldiers appeared to have been tipped off that some people were coming to the hotel to confront them, because they reportedly left their rooms and stayed ready in front of the hotel.
A clash ensued the moment the Amotekun operatives arrived, according to sources.
Tope Samuel was severely wounded in the clash, and he died before he could be taken to the hospital.
Opejobi also sustained a gash on his head during the skirmish.
In a press statement, the Osun Amotekun Corps Commander, Mr. Adekunle Omoyele, confirmed the death of Opejobi.
He claimed he was killed without any provocation by soldiers around 5:45 pm on Saturday.
The commander laid the blame on the doorstep of Opejobi, whom he accused of leading men to assault the late Amotekun operative.
Omoyele said Opejobi, dressed in military camouflage, stormed the Amotekun offices in Ijebu-Jesa with hostility.
He claimed that the soldier said one of the reasons he joined the army was to ‘deal decisively’ with Amotekun personnel.
Omoyele claimed that Opejobi and his cohort hit Officer Tope on the head with a blunt object as he was riding a motorcycle.
He claimed the violence lasted for about 20 minutes before the assailants left the severely injured operative in a pool of his blood.
The Amotekun commander said Opejobi fled the scene on a commercial motorcycle shortly afterwards.
He said his team reported the incident at the Divisional Police Headquarters in Ijebu-Jesa and the Military Barracks in Ede.
The Osun Police Command spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi, told The Punch the case was already being investigated.
Ojelabi attributed the incident to a misunderstanding between the Amotekun operatives and the soldiers.
He said the police would soon come out with their findings after the investigation.
