A dramatic confrontation between operatives of the Ondo State Police Command and the Amotekun Corps on Sunday disrupted peace in the Alagbaka area of Akure, Ondo State, as both security outfits clashed over the custody of a suspect linked to motorcycle theft.
The fracas, which sent panic through the neighbourhood, involved sporadic gunshots as both agencies sought control of a suspect identified as Tosin Adebisi, alleged to have been terrorising residents in the Powerline area of Ijoka, Akure.
Trouble began after operatives of the Amotekun Corps arrested the suspect following a complaint by Rev. Bola Ariyo of Living Word Missionary Baptist Church.
The corps reportedly retrieved a stolen motorcycle from the suspect before taking him to their office for interrogation.
However, the situation escalated when police officers arrived at the scene and demanded custody of the suspect.
According to an Amotekun officer injured during the incident, the corps refused to hand over the suspect, insisting he would be processed at their headquarters.
“The police later mobilised to our office and attacked us in a bid to forcibly take the suspect. Several of our men were injured in the process,” the officer told our correspondent from his hospital bed.
The Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Ayanlade Olushola, in a statement, described the incident as a “misunderstanding” between both agencies.
He alleged that the suspect was beaten to a coma by Amotekun personnel, prompting urgent police intervention.
“The officers of the Nigeria Police Force were the first responders at the scene, only for Amotekun operatives to arrive later with a crowd of commercial motorcyclists and forcefully take the suspect and exhibits,” Olushola stated.
He added that the Amotekun team acted in a “commando-like” manner and injured a police officer in the course of the altercation.
The police spokesman disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, CP Wilfred Afolabi, subsequently directed tactical commanders to recover the suspect and exhibits.
Following high-level dialogue between both agencies, the suspect and stolen item were returned to the police.
Despite the resolution, tensions flared again when some aggrieved Amotekun operatives reportedly fired shots into the air, protesting the decision. The police responded by deploying tear gas to disperse the crowd.
“No gun battle occurred. The tear gas was used professionally to maintain law and order,” Olushola clarified.
He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to inter-agency cooperation, urging all security personnel in the state to operate within the framework of the law.
The incident has once again highlighted the simmering rivalry and operational tensions between conventional and regional security agencies in Nigeria.
Efforts to reach the Amotekun leadership for comments were unsuccessful at press time.
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