The Corps Commander of the Ekiti State Security Network popularly called Amotekun Corps, Brigadier General, Joe Komolafe(retd) has said operatives of the network didn’t gunshots shots at traders in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti state capital.
The commander who spoke with newsmen at the weekend following last Thursday’s clash between Amotekun corps and some traders at the popular Atikankan area of Ado-Ekiti, which left many injured and vehicles destroyed, said the traders who were mostly Hausa resisted the government’s directive to relocate from the area.
He explained that in the course is f affecting the relocation order of the state government, the corps met stiff resistance from the traders, who attacked them with dangerous weapons and injured operatives, where he said they claimed to own the land.
Komolafe said, ” But when we got to Atikankan we told them this is what the Governor said and they were informed about a month ago that they should vacate the place. Some of them were so bold to tell us that we are not going, why? They said they have C of O and they paid money to some of the chiefs and I said no.
” If you pay any money to chiefs, chiefs hold the land in trust for the Government You cannot stay there. This is government land and the government has made provision at the Agric Olope area where state-of-the-art facilities have been put in place.
“The following day, which was Thursday, my operatives went there to see the level of compliance to that instruction only to get there and discovered to our shock that these people had prepared for us attacking us with stones, some put nails on the sticks and other offensive weapons to attack my operatives. In the process, four of my operatives were seriously injured with deep cuts on their heads and bodies one of them even lost his teeth. In the process we heard some gunshots from the crowd
“Actually we didn’t go there to use force on anybody but we employed persuasion. We were shocked when they resisted I’m very sure those hardened criminals that were still hiding there orchestrated the resistance. They even went as far as holding one of my operatives hostage inside their den.
“When it got to that level, Atikankan is a criminals den, I have no choice than to first, go and rescue him and secondly I had to call the Nigerian Police Force and other sister security agencies to our aid because Atikankan is notorious.
” If we had gone there to use force, the story would have been different but unfortunately we thought they would listen to our persuasion.”.
On some reports claiming fatality from the fracas, the Amotekun boss said, “I’m not aware because till now I’ve not seen any dead body, nobody has brought any dead body but on my own part my boys sustained injuries and cuts. Even if there was any casualty at all, we should ask some of those criminals who must have done that.”
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