Why soldiers, Amotekun operatives ‘clashed’ in Ondo

The Ondo State security outfit, codenamed Amotekun, and soldiers clashed over the arrest of over 100 cows that allegedly violated the state’s anti-grazing law.

The Amotekun operatives had seized the cows following distress calls from farmers in Oke Aro area of Akure, the state capital, that their crops had been destroyed.

However, the Amotekun operatives were prevented from taking the cows away by some soldiers attached to the 32 Artillery Brigade, Akure, who claimed that they belong to some senior officers in the barracks.

According to Daily Trust, an eyewitness said as the Amotekun personnel were marching the arrested cows to their office at Alagbaka area of the state, soldiers numbering about ten stormed the area with Hilux vehicle to prevent them from taking the cows away.

“The soldiers insisted that the Amotekun men would not go away with the cows because they belonged to their officers from the military barrack. But the Amotekun officers insisted that the cows have violated the anti-grazing law and must be taken to the office for the owners to bail them or pay for the damaged farmlands.”

“Crisis started with an exchange of hot words and it later snowballed into an exchange of blows between the two security outfits on the street. Before we know what was happening, they started shooting sporadically into the air.

”Immediately they started shooting, the residents scampered for safety in order not to be caught in the shooting by the two security outfits.

“The soldiers eventually overpowered the Amotekun personnel and arrested two of them.”

Ondo state commander of Amotekun, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, who confirmed the incident however said it was ”a minor disagreement between the officers of the two security outfits.”