The killing of one Akolade Gbadebo by Oyo State Security Network Agency, Operation Amotekun has generated serious controversy.

 It was gathered that the young man, a University of Ibadan student was killed on the 20th of December, 2020. However, the operatives of the security network accused of killing Akolade Gbadebo, a student of the Federal College of Education Special (SPED), Oyo town, affiliated to the University of Ibadan denied the allegation, saying that they killed Gbadebo because he was the leader of an armed robbery gang.

 A statement by its Commandant, Col. Olayinka Olayanju (rtd), said Amotekun corps operatives only had an encounter with a three-man robbery gang, neutralised its leader and handed the two surviving members to the Atiba Police Station in Oyo town. 

The statement read:

 “On Sunday December 20, 2020, at about 0040hrs (past 12 midnight), a mobile patrol team of Amotekun operatives from Oyo East and Atiba Local Government Area ran into an illegal road block mounted around Sabo area in Oyo town, opposite old Isale Oyo Community Bank along Oyo-Ogbomosho Expressway.

“While the team was attempting to clear the barricade to facilitate smooth passage for interstate commercial vehicles plying the road, a group of armed men suspected to be robbers fired at the Amotekun operatives and a gun duel ensued.“In the process, one of the robbers, nicknamed Akin Sarz, was neutralised and two other gang members were arrested at the scene with a locally made pistol and cartridges.”

Olayinka explained that men of the Nigeria Police from Atiba were called to the scene, while Amotekun operatives handed over the two arrested armed robbers along with the corpse of Akin Sarz to men of the Atiba police.

 “The Atiba Police later handed over the surviving gang members to the State CID Iyaganku for further investigation.“Preliminary investigation conducted at Atiba Police post revealed identity of the deceased as a student of the Federal College of Education Special (SPED), Oyo and a known cultist.“The gang members confirmed that the deceased was their gang leader, and that they had been terrorising the general area of Afijio and Oyo Township for some time.”