Following alleged repeated killings of youths in Ibadan, by the operatives of the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Operation Amotekun, hundreds of aggrieved youths took to the streets of the state capital on Wednesday to protest the killings.
They were protesting against the alleged killing of a teenager, Peter Okafor, in the early hours of Wednesday around Uncle Joe area of Mokola, in Ibadan.
It was gathered that the victim, an apprentice with a printing press in Mokola, was allegedly shot dead.
A similar incident was recorded in the Oke-Ado area of Ibadan on July 21, where two youths were allegedly killed by Amotekun personnel while celebrating the Eid-el Kabir festival.
An eye witness, who pleaded anonymity, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) 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 told NAN.
It was gathered that immediately the information got to youths in the area, they mobilised themselves and started making bonfires on the road, 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.
The Executive Assistant on Security to the Governor, Sunday Odukoya, made frantic efforts to appease the protesters, but they insisted that they must see the Governor Seyi Makinde.
When contacted, the Oyo State Police Command spokesperson, 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 Corps, Col. Olayinka Olayanju (retd), when contacted 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 city to prevent the breakdown of law and order.
