At least two persons were fatally shot on Thursday in Asaka area of Ibadan, Oyo State, when an operative of the Western Nigeria Security Network codenamed ‘Operation Amotekun’ opened live rounds during a brawl in the community, Sahara Reporters reported Friday.

Citing eyewitness reports, the news outlet which identified the casualties as Afeez Lotto and Akin Owoaga, said they were allegedly gunned down by Sikiru Apanpa, a newly enlisted Amotekun personnel, who was formerly a member of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) – a militant socio-cultural Yoruba nationalist group.

The newspaper quoted eyewitnesses to have narrated that the tragic incident started when a resident simply identified as Saheed, beckoned the Amotekun paramilitary group to intervene after tempers flared amongst youths at Ike-Olu junction in Asaka and a fight broke out.

Mr. Apanpa, the Amotekun official, was said to have immediately opened fire after storming the scene with his colleagues in the outfit’s operational vehicle, resulting in two deaths.

The operatives swiftly fled the scene shooting sporadically, the sources said.

Mr. Saheed has since been taken into custody by Mapo Area Police Command, Ibadan, while the Amotekun agent remains at large, the report said.

The Oyo commandant of Amotekun, Olayinka Olayanju has, however, exonerated the security outfit of any wrongdoing.

Mr. Olayanju explained that its operative Mr. Apanpa, whom he said was still an OPC member had only invited his OPC colleagues to come to his rescue after being attacked by hoodlums.

“By the time we (Amotekun) got there, we saw that the OPC members and the hoodlums were already exchanging gunfire, but our operatives and Operation Burst were able to bring the situation under control,” Mr. Olayanju said.

“After that had been settled, the hoodlums later gathered and attacked an OPC member, who is also a member of Amotekun in the area,”

“He (Apanpa) then called his OPC colleagues who came to his rescue. So there was no time Amotekun shot at anybody,” the Amotekun commandant added.

The Oyo Police Command has yet to issue a statement on the shootings.