Amotekun, Ekiti traders clash, four injured

Some traders at the Atikankan area of Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, on Thursday, attacked operatives of Ekiti State Amotekun Corps injuring no fewer than four persons believed to include members of the security agency.

Sources said that trouble began when the Amotekun Corps attempted to effect the government order to relocate the traders from the Atikankan area claimed to have turned to crime haven to the markets along Agric Olope Market in the capital city.

A source, who said that the leadership of Ado Local Government Area had engaged the services of Amotekun Corps to effect the movement of traders along the road in Oja’ba, Oja Bisi and Atikankan Market, said, “Some traders at Atikankan resisted the attack, ambushed Amotekun Corps operatives and unleashed mayhem on the security agents with dangerous weapons”.

He alleged that weapons such as guns, cutlasses and daggers were used by the traders and in the process allegedly injured the operatives and vandalized about three Amotekun patrol vans.

He said, “These people in Atikankan area have been constituting serious nuisance and security threat to the state in the last few years with the kind of criminal activities happening on daily basis.

“This is a place where you go and see people hawking cannabis in broad daylight, used as criminal hideouts and selling and buying of stolen items, among other illicit activities. Government asked them to relocate to another place provided for them, but they were adamant and insisting they won’t leave the place.

“They said nobody can make them vacate the place, you can see the problem in our hands. The Amotekun people were there today (Thursday) to effect the directives of government on the relocation when they were attacked with dangerous weapons.

“They injured the operatives and destroyed their patrol vehicles. I heard one person died in the fracas but I can’t confirm that at the moment,” the source said.

The Police Public Relations Officer for Ekiti State Command, Sunday Abutu, who confirmed the clash, said that four suspects had been arrested so far in connection with the incident.

Abutu, who said normalcy had been restored to the area, said the Commissioner of Police, Dare Ogundare, had ordered a discreet investigation into the incident to ensure that the perpetrators were brought to book.

He said, “The command received a distress call that there was a clash between Amotekun operatives and a group of irate youths in Atikankan area of Ado Ekiti. The command immediately deployed operatives to the scene to maintain peace and forestall further damage.

“Upon reaching the scene, it was discovered that two persons were seriously injured and rushed to the hospital,” he said.