Operatives of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Nigeria Police Force have taken custody of suspects earlier detained by the Osun State Amotekun Corps as part of investigations into alleged extra-judicial killings in Akinlalu, Ife-North Local Government Area.
The police team, led by the IRT Commander, SP Rotimi Ogunmuyiwa, reportedly stormed the Amotekun headquarters at Power Line, Osogbo, over the weekend.
The visit followed a petition accusing the corps of unlawfully killing four persons and injuring eight others during a raid in Akinlalu, an incident that sparked widespread public outrage.
The IRT delegation was accompanied by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Bayonle Ogunmuyiwa. The officers interrogated several suspects allegedly held by Amotekun beyond the legal detention period.
Some detainees told the police they had been in custody for weeks without trial. Two of them claimed to have been held for five weeks over the sale of Indian hemp worth ₦25,000, while another said he was detained for six days without being told his offence.
A fourth suspect alleged he had been locked up for stealing oil in Ilesa.
Following the interrogation, the police team ordered that all detainees be handed over to the nearest Divisional Police Officer, stressing that their alleged offences were bailable and did not justify prolonged detention.
Meanwhile, the Osun State House of Assembly has condemned the police action, describing the takeover of Amotekun’s operations as unlawful and politically motivated.
Speaker Wale Egbedun, addressing journalists in Osogbo, said the legislature was “deeply concerned” by reports linking the police intervention to political interference allegedly orchestrated by Senator Francis Fadahunsi of Osun East.
“The Amotekun Corps remains a legally established agency of the Osun State Government,” Egbedun stated. “No political actor or security institution has the constitutional authority to suspend its operations without legislative backing.
We demand the immediate unsealing of the Amotekun offices to allow the corps resume its lawful duties.”
Reacting, Senator Fadahunsi confirmed that he invited the police to investigate Amotekun, alleging that the outfit had become “a menace” to residents of his senatorial district.
“From February till now, twelve people from my district have been killed by Amotekun operatives,” he said. “They are supposed to protect the people, not terrorise them.
Even in my own town, they arrested someone over a land dispute. That’s not their duty. I will not keep quiet while my people are being killed.”
In a related development, Governor Ademola Adeleke has expressed support for the ongoing investigation, urging the police to act strictly within the law.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the governor commended Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun for his intervention and called for a fair process that protects innocent persons while ensuring accountability for those found culpable.