Nigeria News
Protest rocks Ibadan as Amotekun stray bullet allegedly kills okada rider
A commercial motorcyclist has been confirmed dead after he was hit by a stray bullet allegedly fired from the gun of an Amotekun personnel in Oyo State.
It was gathered that the victim, Tosin Thomas, was hit by the stray bullet around 11pm on Wednesday.
Reports say Amotekun personnel were on patrol around Mokola area in Ibadan when a gunshot was allegedly fired, hitting Tosin Thomas in the process.
Sources say Thomas was rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention but he died in the early hours of Thursday.
The incident has sparked frustrations from other motorcycle operators in the area who invaded the street to demand justice for the alleged killing of their colleague.
Sources say the protesters carried the remains of Thomas around Mokola. This resulted in heavy traffic gridlock around Mokola roundabout, and traders were forced to hurriedly close their shops for safety.
Confirming the incident, the State’s police Pro, CSP Olugbenga Fadeyi, said normalcy has been restored in the affected area.
In recent weeks, the Oyo State Security Network, Amotekun, have been accused of harassing and killing defenceless citizens.
Recall that Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, had warned that Amotekun should not be allowed to degenerate into the defunct special anti-robbery squad (SARS), following reports of killings by its officials.
The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has however responded to these claims. He revealed people who want Amotekun to fail are those spreading lies against the security outfit.
On Wednesday, while addressing newsmen at the Government House in Agodi, Governor Makinde said some of the negative reports about the security outfit are false.