….Vehicles set ablaze
Armed herdsmen have killed at least two members of Amotekun corps in Ondo State. The armed hersdsmen also set vehicles belonging to the corps ablaze.
Irohinoodua was informed that the armed herdsmen were not only better trained, better equiped but also better coordinated compared with the brave but ill equiped, poorly trained and ill motivated members of Amotekun.
“We have an excellent Amotekun State Commander, a retired General, but the foundation of Amotekun in Ondo is poor..Its not his fault. He needs to change the training, structure and logistic support to make Amotekun more effective’ a security source that does not wish to be named told Irohinoodua.
Sources told our correspondent that the herdsmen laid ambush and swamped on the Amotekun corps leaving two people dead and several others wounded.
A member of the Oodua Peoples Congress, (OPC) in Ondo State, Mr Mark Adamolekun said the Amotekun corps put up a heroic resistance but that they were subdued due to poor training and lack of experience even in their own ancestral territory.
Alhaji Saliu Akinwunmi, another member of OPC commended the State Governor, Arakunrin Akeredolu for his committment to enusuring safety of lives and property in Ondo State.
He said “Akeredolu makes the people proud. His commitment is not in doubt. He visited the scene of the incidence and has spoken to families of the beriefed.”
However, an official of Oodua Liberation Movement, (OLM) in Ondo State Mr Babalola Durotoye said Akeredolu’s impediment is the Federal Government and what he called the “foundation of Amotekun.”
He said “The Governor is ready to work. His problem is that some of his advisers want to run Amotekun as a political outfit”
The source said further “There is a particular arrogant ex-police officer who was involved in the recruitment. All efforts to guide him and provide useful information to him by the self determination groups in Ondo State failed. He wants Amotekun to be ran like the Nigerian police. The method of recruitment alienated the people, the mainstream Pan Yoruba groups who have been tested in their ideological commitment to the defence of Yorubaland under oath. He recruited candidates of politicians and traditional rulers, this can never bring the desired corps needed by Amotekun” he said .
Sources said the encounter took place at the Owo forest Reserve Area between Amotekun and Fulani herdsmen.
“Amotekun lost some personnel yesterday along Ute road Owo. They. They overpowered Amotekun in the process of flushing them out of Owo forest reserves, where they have occupied without authorisation.”
The source said some of the armed herdsmen were even mining solid minerals in the reserve without approvals.
The forest has been used as the base of the Fulank herdsmen who continuously carry out crimes like rape, kidnapping and murder.
Source:Irohin Oodua
