Following alleged incessant killings of youths in Ibadan area of Oyo State by Operatives of the State Security Network, codenamed Amotekun, hundreds of aggrieved youths took to the streets of the state capital on Wednesday, protesting the killings.
They were protesting against alleged killing of a 14-year-old boy, Peter Okafor, in the early hours of Wednesday around Uncle Joe area of Mokola in Ibadan.
The victim, an apprentice with a printing press in Mokola, was allegedly shot dead.
Similar incident was recorded in Oke-Ado area of Ibadan on July 21 where two youths were allegedly killed by Amotekun corps, while celebrating the Eid-el Kabir festival.
A witness, who pleaded anonymity, said that immediately the boy sighted the Amotekun operatives in the early hours of Wednesday, patrolling the area, he started running to escape.
“I don’t know what he did for them to warrant his running, but they shot him in the head and he died instantly,” the witness said.
Immediately the information got to youths in the area, they mobilised themselves and started making bonfires on the road, thus causing traffic gridlock around Mokola area.
The protesters later moved to the state Secretariat with the corpse of the victim, and prevented both human and vehicular movements around the main gate.
Though, Mr Sunday Odukoya, the Executive Assistant on Security to the Governor, made frantic efforts to appease the protesters, they insisted that they must see the Governor, Mr Seyi Makinde.
When contacted, DSP Adewale Osifeso, the state Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, said he was at the scene of the incident.
“I am at the scene of the incident at the moment now. I will reach out to you as soon as I get to the office, please,” Osifeso said.
The State Commander of Amotekun, Retired Col. Olayinka Olayanju, declined to comment on the incident.
Olayanju, who said he could not speak on the matter at the moment, simply said, “we are on top of the incident”.
Some anti-riot policemen had been deployed to the scene, and patrolling major roads in the town to prevent break down of law and order.
