Aggrieved youths and students of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo State, in their hundreds on Friday morning, protested in front of the state secretariat, Alagbaka, in Akure, over the killing of Folarera Ademola, an ND1 student of the Department of Science Laboratory Technology, allegedly by an operative of the Amotekun Corps.
The aggrieved youths blocked all the link roads around the secretariat’s main gate thereby disrupting human and vehicular movements.
The protesters, who defied the morning rains and marched to the Governor’s Office, dropped the corpse of the victim in front of the government’s office, while calling on Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to fish out the killer Amotekun Corps.
The protesters also gave the state government a 24-hour ultimatum to hand over the said officer to the Nigeria Police Force for proper prosecution, take charge of the deceased’s burial, and compensate the family.
Speaking on behalf of the students, the Students’ Union President, Olorunda Oluwafemi, confirmed that the student was shot and killed on June 26 by an officer of the Amotekun Corps in front of his parents’ house.
Oluwafemi added that the deceased suffered gunshot wounds for 10 days before he was taken to the Federal Medical Centre in Owo, where he gave up the ghost on Thursday.
He said the protesting students marched from the school gate through the Palace of Olowo of Owo before taking the protest to the Governor’s Office and Amotekun’s office to further express their grievance.
Reacting, the State Amotekun Corps, said it received with dismay and sadness the news of the death of a student of the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, allegedly shot by one of the Amotekun men in Owo during an operation.
According to the State Commander of the Amotekun Corps, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, “The Corps must explain to the public what transpired a few days ago that led to the unfortunate death of the student.
“In its avowed determination to ensure that Ondo State is rid of criminal elements, the state Amotekun Corps is investigating the case of a syndicate that specializes in attacking Okada riders with dangerous weapons and dispossessing them of their motorcycles in the process.
“Luck, however, ran out of one of the syndicates who was given a hot chase into a building in Owo by men of the Amotekun Corps where other members of the gang were met with 15 men in the building, 7 out of the men stacked naked inside the room filled with smoke. And four Okadas were also found inside the bedroom.
“After introducing themselves to the men, the men struggled to disarm the operative who alarm attracted the other two outside.
“In an attempt to apprehend the suspect, they swung on men of the Corps, trying to disarm them and in the course of the struggle, one of their riffles triggered off and hit one of the suspects and an Amotekun officer.
“At that instance non of them told Amotekun officers that they were students.”
Adeleye further said that his men eventually overpowered the suspects, arrested and took them to the Corps Office in Owo where they were detained while the investigation was continued.
According to him, the incident occurred on the June 27 and 28, 2022.
His words: “He was released to him on health ground, promising to return him to the corps custody to continue the investigation
“The suspect left our facility on the same day, 11 days after the incident to get first aid treatment with the promise to return in a continuation of the investigation.
“Surprisingly, the news of the dead injured suspect’s filtered yesterday after 11 days since the incident occurred.
“We sincerely register our Condolences to the family and friends of the deceased while we continue with our in-depth investigation into the real cause of his death.
“The Ondo State Amotekun Corps, however, wishes to assure the public that it will work with stakeholders including NANS, the Polytechnic Community and the family of the victim to ensure that justice is timely served.
“The Corps promised that it would not relent in its avowed determination to protect the residents of Ondo State in collaboration with other security agencies and sanitize the state of criminal elements terrorizing the state.”
