Fiery Showdown: Osun Assembly and Senator Clash Over Arrest of Amotekun Operatives and Base Sealing

The Osun State House of Assembly has demanded the prompt reopening of the Amotekun Corps’ offices, which were reportedly sealed by police-arrested-for-assault-over-n1m-bribe-refusal/” title=”… … Arrested for Brutally Assaulting Man Who Refused to Pay N1 Million Bribe”>police officers investigating the group’s alleged involvement in the deaths of residents in the Akinlalu community.
Officers from the Intelligence Response Team under the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, are said to have shut down Amotekun operational centers located in Osogbo and Ife Central Local Government Area.
This police intervention followed widespread public concern over the killing of Akinlalu inhabitants, allegedly carried out by members of the Amotekun Corps.
Reports indicate that on Wednesday, the police detained at least 20 Amotekun operatives in Osun State in connection with the violent incidents that took place in Akinlalu the previous Tuesday.
The arrests occurred at the Oke Fia operational base in Osogbo and the Ife Central Division in Ile-Ife.
Yusuf Idowu, spokesperson for Osun Amotekun, confirmed that some operatives were taken into custody regarding the Akinlalu incident.
Contrastingly, the Osun State Police Command clarified that only five Amotekun members were arrested.
In an official statement, police spokesperson Abiodun Ojelabi revealed that the Inspector General of Police has assumed control of the investigation. He also noted that Adekunle Omoyele, the Commander of the Amotekun Corps, was summoned to provide an explanation about the killings but declined to appear.
Addressing journalists in Osogbo on Friday, Adewale Egbedun, Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, representing his colleagues, emphasized that Amotekun, as a legally established entity, should not be hindered by the police from executing its lawful responsibilities.
He further disclosed that intelligence links Senator Adenigba Fadahunsi of Osun East to the involvement of police officers from the IGP’s office in the detention of Amotekun personnel within the state.
“The Assembly sympathizes deeply with the families and individuals in Akinlalu affected by the recent security operations,” Egbedun stated.
“While we do not tolerate any form of misconduct or abuse by security agencies, any allegations must be thoroughly and lawfully investigated, and must not serve as a pretext to undermine legitimate institutions,” he added.
On the other hand, Senator Fadahunsi acknowledged that he invited the police to intervene and cautioned the House of Assembly against assuming that its laws could protect Amotekun operatives if they have breached constitutional provisions.
He stressed that the victims were his constituents and warned that any further loss of life in the Osun East Senatorial District would be met with resistance.
“The Amotekun office has unfortunately become a haven for perpetrators of violence rather than guardians of the community,” the senator asserted.
“These officers are disrupting the peace of the state. Their mandate is to safeguard the state’s territorial integrity, not to instill fear among the populace,” he concluded.