The battle for control over a suspect in Ondo State turned chaotic as operatives of the Amotekun Corps and the Nigeria Police Force engaged in a fierce confrontation, disrupting security operations within the state.
As gathered, the incident began after a complainant reported a missing motorcycle to the Amotekun Corps, prompting operatives to swiftly arrest a suspect linked to the theft and recover the stolen bike.
Shortly after the arrest was made, a group of police officers reportedly arrived at the scene in a bid to take custody of the suspect, demanding that he be handed over to them immediately.
However, the Amotekun operatives stood their ground, insisting that they would only release the suspect upon reaching their state headquarters, where proper procedures would be followed.
An eyewitness, who recounted the incident on Monday, explained that tensions began to rise when the suspect was eventually transported to the Amotekun office, further straining relations between the two security agencies.
According to an injured Amotekun officer who spoke from his hospital bed, police operatives later mobilized and invaded the office in an attempt to forcibly retrieve the suspect, resulting in a gun duel and injuries on both sides.
“They came heavily armed and injured many of our personnel during the raid,” the officer alleged.
However, the spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, Ayanlade Olushola, gave a different account of the incident, stating that police officers intervened after receiving reports that the suspect had been beaten into a coma while in the custody of Amotekun operatives.
“The clash was a misunderstanding over the handling of the suspect,” Olushola said. “We had to act after receiving credible information that the suspect was severely tortured.”
As of the time of filing this report, several officers from both sides have been hospitalized, and the suspect is also receiving medical attention.
Meanwhile, the Ondo State Government is yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
