Hunters, police clash leaves 1 dead

chika ebuzor

November 23, 2016 4:45 AM

The spokesman of the Oyo police command, Adekunle Ajisebutu said those who attacked the policemen were suspected robbers.

One hunter was reportedly killed in a clash between members of Agbekoya (a professional hunters’ group) and the police on Tuesday, November 23, 2016.

According to Punch, an eyewitness revealed that the issue started when policemen attached to the Ogbere Onilanta police station, stopped the hunters.

The eyewitness also said “The hunters were going for a meeting when they were stopped by the policemen for reckless driving. One of them came down and assaulted a policeman, which resulted in an argument. Suddenly, there were shootings and after a while, one of the hunters fell and was arrested while others fled the scene, leaving behind one of the cars they came with.”

Speaking on the incident, the spokesman of the Oyo police command, Adekunle Ajisebutu said those who attacked the policemen were suspected armed robbers.

Ajisebutu said “Some suspected armed robbers, later identified as Agbekoya militants, in three vehicles, attacked policemen on stop-and-search mission at Ogbere and attempted to snatch a rifle from the police.

“The armed bandits were repelled. The hoodlums fled only to regroup and launched a deadly attack on the Ogbere Police Station, advancing to the armoury, while shooting their way in. The police again repelled their attack and in the process, one of the hoodlums was fatally injured.”

Meanwhile, the National Publicity Secretary of the Agbekoya Farmers Association, Chief Olatunji Bamidele, said those who attacked the policemen are not its members.

He also said “These are fake people who are not registered as our members. We have been fighting this trend for a long time and we have reported the existence of such groups like Agbekoya Solidarity Movement and Reformed Agbekoya Group to the police.

“They claim to be sympathisers of the late Agbekoya leader, Tafa Adeoye, but they are fraudsters. They use the platform to cause mayhem. The real group is Agbekoya Farmers Association of Nigeria, which is duly registered.”

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Bamidele also revealed that the activities of the group, whom he described as impersonators, have been reported to the police.

chika ebuzor