The Osun Amotekun Corps has commenced massive arrest and detention of Traditional Chiefs, believed to be members of the opposition political party, All Progressive Congress (APC), in Itapa, Atakumosa East Local Government Area of Osun State.
As at the time of filing this report, five prominent Chiefs, from the town, Itapa, were in Amotekun custody in Osogbo, the state capital, over trumped up allegations.
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Multiple credible sources from the community hinted that Chief Adeyeri Olalekan, Chief Adeyeri Ladele, Chief Adeyeri Adeyeye, Chief Ariyo Dare
and Chief Ogunsola Oladele were detained in Amotekun detention facility in Osun over the allegation of unlawfully organising local security for the community.
The chiefs were arrested on Tuesday and granted administrative bail but were later invited and rearrested on Sunday by the Field Commander of Amotekun Corps, Mr Adekunle Omoyele.
It was gathered that Itapa Community, in consultation with Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Nigerian Police in the area, recently organized a local security group, to protect the community following renewed cultists attack in the community.
According to a source " for over a month, the community has begun to experience resurgence of cultists attack in the area. This led to the formation of a vigilante group in the community by the palace as a local security measure to support the police. This effort has been yielding result as a result of the support from the police. In fact, one of the suspected cultists was arrested few days ago and handed over to the police. The suspect has been remanded in correctional center custody.
"However, possibly because some of the suspected cultists are members of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), the Amotekun Corps in the area became uncomfortable with the development and began to encourage frivolous petitions against the community leaders over the arrest of one of the suspect, Demola Abbey A.K.A Pressy and since then, the community has been withnessing all manner of harassment from the Amotekun Corps.
"Those that are leading the operations are some
suspected cultists who were recently recruited into Amotekun from the Ilesa South. For example, Ajayi Ibukun and Femi Osobu and Amure Sunday who are already on the watch-list of the Anti-Cultist Police Unit for months are the one leading the operations.
"The disturbing aspect is that Amotekun, which can not protect the community, are now criminalizing the community leaders because of politics, a development capable of outrightly complicating the security situation of the area. It is just like those," the source said.
The source added that efforts of the APC State Treasurer, Hon Femi Kujembola, to secure the bail of the Cheifs were unsuccessful.
It would be recalled that the Ijesa South Federal Constituency, since the arrest of Olabode Owoeye popularly known as Bode Itapa who is currently facing criminal trial at an Abuja Federal High Court, until the recent surge in the activities of cultists in the area.
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