Tension gripped Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Sunday following a violent clash between officers of the Nigeria Police and operatives of the Amotekun Corps, the state’s security network agency.
The incident occurred at the Amotekun Corps office located in the Ijoka area of Akure metropolis, where police officers from the Scorpion Unit stormed the premises in an attempt to take custody of a suspect.
According to local sources, the suspect, identified as 18-year-old Tosin Adebisi, had been arrested by Amotekun operatives following a report of a missing motorcycle.
The motorcycle was allegedly found in his possession during a search at his residence.
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A source revealed that shortly after the suspect’s arrest, police officers demanded his immediate release but Amotekun operatives refused, stating the suspect would only be handed over at their headquarters in Alagbaka.
The standoff reportedly escalated into a physical confrontation, with both sides refusing to back down.
Gunshots were fired into the air, and tear gas was deployed, causing panic in the surrounding community.
Residents in the Alagbaka area fled for safety as the situation worsened, with eyewitnesses reporting chaos and fear among passersby and shop owners in the vicinity.
It was also gathered that some Amotekun operatives sustained injuries during the fracas, although details regarding the number and severity of injuries remain unclear.
Responding to the development, Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Ayanlade, claimed that the police were the first to arrive at the scene before Amotekun operatives appeared with a large crowd of commercial motorcyclists.
“In a disorderly and commando-like manner, the Amotekun personnel and accompanying individuals forcefully took custody of the suspect and the exhibits, in the process injuring a police officer,” said Ayanlade in a statement.
He added that the Commissioner of Police, CP Wilfred Olutokunbo Afolabi, promptly ordered tactical commanders to recover both the suspect and the recovered motorcycle.
Following interventions and dialogue between commanders of the two security agencies, the suspect and the motorcycle were eventually returned to the police in what was described as an effort to maintain inter-agency cooperation.
However, Ayanlade noted that while the resolution was underway, some Amotekun members, dissatisfied with the release of the suspect, began firing shots into the air, further aggravating tensions.
As of the time of this report, neither Amotekun nor its Corps Commander has issued an official statement regarding the confrontation or injuries sustained by its operatives.
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Efforts to reach the Ondo State Security Network Agency for comment were unsuccessful.
Normalcy has since returned to the area, but the confrontation has sparked discussions over jurisdiction and operational conduct among the state’s security forces.
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