Men of the Operation Burst, a joint security outfit in Oyo State comprising soldiers and men of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corp, have arrested some armed hoodlums.
This came as controversies continue to trail the Amotekun raid in Igangan community, Oyo State, on Saturday.
Just as the Amotekun Commandant, Col Olayinka Olayanju (retd.), said his men raided kidnappers’ hideouts in the area, the son of Seriki Fulani, Umoru Salisu, said the claims were not correct.
The armed hoodlums, suspected to be Fulanis, were reportedly arrested in the early hours of Sunday at Ofiki River, along Tapa/Igangan road in the Ibarapa North Local Government Area of the state.
It was learnt that the armed Fulani men were invited by their kinsmen in the area in reaction to the raid carried out by the men of the Oyo State Security Network Agency otherwise called Operation Amotekun on Saturday.
The Amotekun Corps in the state had earlier indicated that it raided the kidnappers’ hideouts in the area on Saturday. The operation led to the death of three persons with one of its men also injured.
The security outfit said the raid was carried out in collaboration with Miyetti Allah Vigilante, hunters, and others.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Olugbenga Fadeyi, promised to get back to our correspondent but was yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.
The OPC coordinator in Ibarapa Zone, Olanrewaju Ogedengbe, when contacted said the armed men were loaded in three buses.
He said, “47 of them were arrested at Ofiki River. They were caught with Dane guns and after their buses were searched; sophisticated guns, bows, and arrows, charms, catapults, and bullets were also found.
“I heard that security men have come to arrest the Seriki Fulani. He was arrested this morning. Those arrested said they were brought from Ilorin, Iseyin, and other places. They wore VGN uniforms (Vigilante Group of Nigeria).”
