The Amotekun Corps has shot and killed a student of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo in Ondo. 

The student, identified as Folarera Ademola of the department of Science Laboratory Technology (SLT), was reportedly killed on June 27. 

Mr Ademola’s killing led to a Friday morning protest at the institution’s gate. 

The student’s remains were brought to the protest venue by his angry colleagues in a black SUV, with the protesting students chanting solidarity songs and raining abuses on the Amotekun operative who fired the shot that killed the student. 

Olorunda Oluwafemi, the polytechnic’s SUG president, who spoke during the protest, said, “He (Ademola) suffered the gunshot wounds for 10 days before he was taken to FMC in Owo but gave up yesterday (Thursday).”

The students’ leader added that the students gave the Amotekun Corps a 24-hour ultimatum to hand the killer to the police. 

“We are also demanding that the Amotekun should immediately take charge of the burial arrangement of Ademola and also compensate the bereaved family,” Mr Oluwafemi stated. 

The protesting students, who later arrived in Akure, dumped Mr Ademola’s corpse at the gate of the Ondo Government Office in Alagbaka. 

Commandant Adetunji Adeleye admitted that the student was shot during “an operation” by Amotekun operatives.

According to him, the operatives were investigating a case of a syndicate that attacks commercial Okada riders and robs them of their motorcycles.

“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,” said the Amotekun commandant. “Seven out of the men stacked naked inside the room filled with smoke. 4 motorcycles were found in the bedroom.”

Mr Adeleye added, “After introducing themselves to the men, they immediately struggled to disarm our operatives while they raised the alarm to two other colleagues outside the building.” 

According to him, during the struggle, the rifle of one of the Amotekun operatives triggered off and hit one of the suspects and an Amotekun Officer.

“At that instance, none of them told Amotekun officers that they were students,” he noted.

Mr Adeleye further explained that his men at that stage overpowered the suspects and took them to the Amotekun office in Owo, where they were detained.

“He was, however, released on health grounds, promising to return to the corps’ custody to continue an investigation. The suspect left our facility on the same day after the incident to get first-aid treatment with the promise to return in a continuation of the investigation,” the commandant further explained. “Surprisingly, the news of the death of the injured suspect filtered yesterday after 11 days that the incident occurred.”