The Osun Amotekun Corps says one of its operatives, who was allegedly attacked on Saturday by a soldier, has died in the hospital.

Isaac Omoyele, the Osun Amotekun commander, made this known in a statement in Osogbo on Sunday.

Mr Omoyele explained that an Amotekun personnel, Peter Tope, was violently attacked at about 5.45 p.m. at the Ijeda area, Ijebu Jesa, resulting in his death in the early hours of Sunday.

“The incident occurred around 5:45 p.m. when a soldier, who was recently recruited into the Nigerian Army, launched an unprovoked assault on the Amotekun operative.

“The soldier, dressed in military camouflage, approached the Amotekun station in Ijebu-Jesa with hostile intent and made some uncomplimentary comments about the corps.

“What subsequently followed after his comments was that he and his cohorts launched an unprovoked attack on one Amotekun personnel who was coming on his motorcycle.

“They reportedly stopped the Amotekun personnel, knocked him down from his motorcycle, by hitting him with a hard object on the head.

“The attack on him lasted for about 20 minutes, leaving the Amotekun personnel injured and rolling in the pool of blood,” he said.

Mr Omoyele said the soldier and his accomplices left the scene on commercial motorcycles.

He said other operatives of the corps later evacuated Mr Tope to Wesley Guild Hospital in Ilesa and reported the incident at the divisional police headquarters in Ijebu-Jesa.

“Unfortunately, despite efforts to save his life, Officer Peter Samuel Tope succumbed to his injuries early Sunday morning,” he said.

Mr Omoyele demanded a thorough investigation into the matter, vowing that no effort would be spared to ensure those responsible for the attack were brought to justice.

When contacted, the police spokesperson in Osun, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, confirmed the incident, saying the police are working to arrest the prime suspect (an Army Private).

“It was reported by the Amotekun commander in Ijebu Jesa that the suspect used his jack-knife to attack two Amotekun officials, injuring them.

“They were taken to the hospital, but one has been reported dead while the other is receiving treatment.

“We have the details of the suspect, who is an Army Private,” Mr Ojelabi told journalists. 

(NAN)