Family members of Azeez Akintunde, an Oyo town-based businessman allegedly arrested by military personnel have demanded the whereabouts and immediate release of their son.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that Mr Akintunde was allegedly arrested by personnel of the Operation Burst last Thursday at his residence on Alhaja Sara Street, Cele, in Oyo town, Oyo State, and taken to an unknown destination.
Operation Burst is a security outfit set up by the Oyo State Government, consisting of personnel of Nigerian Army, Mobile Police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to tackle crimes in the state.
In an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Tuesday, one of Akintunde’s sons, Azeez Akbar, said his father was allegedly taken away on Thursday morning by personnel in Army uniform and in mufti.
“My father was putting on towel when the Operation Burst personnel came to arrest him in his house at about 6.15am on Thursday.
“We, the family members, have to beg them before they allowed him to put on his cloth.
“Some of the personnel that came for the arrest worn Army uniform, while others were in mufti; my father challenged them to produce arrest warrant but they were unable to produce it.
“They later took him away without telling us his offence; if at all he had committed any offence, they should let us know and his whereabout.
“He was first taken to Operation Burst office in Oyo town and few minutes later he was blindfolded and taking out of Operation Burst office to an unknown location.
“Since then, we have not heard from him or the Army about his whereabouts and offence,” Akbar said.
He said his father was an hypertensive patient, adding that his health condition might worsen if he is not allowed to take his drugs regularly or eat his prescribed type of food.
Akbar said they had been to 2nd division, Nigerian Army headquarters, Ibadan; Mokola Police Station and other police stations in the state where they were told that he was not in their custody.
Another son, Adebayo Azeez, said the military personnel that came to arrest his father came with a Volkswagen golf car and three military vehicles with thw inscription ‘Operation Burst’ and led by a Major from Ibadan office.
Azeez said the personnel came back around 11pm on that Thursday with their father to pick up his phone and since then, the family does not know about his whereabouts.
