Ajirioghene Imah
The Commander of the Ekiti State Security Network known as Amotekun, Rtd Brigadier General Joe Komolafe, has confirmed that his officers are not responsible for the shootings at Atikankan area of Ado Ekiti on Thursday.
Rtd Brigadier General Joe Komolafe also denied the speculations that a trader was killed during the incident.
Recall that it was alleged that a trader was shot during a clash between operatives of Amotekun Corps in Ekiti State and traders at the popular Atikankan area of Ado-Ekiti
Addressing newsmen in Ado Ekiti, the Amotekun commander stressed that the security network was in the area for a peaceful and persuasive mission towards ensuring the relocation of traders to new market built by goverment.
His words: “I don’t know who shot the gun but the gunshot was not from my operatives. None of my boys shot anybody. If you say there is casualty, to which level? I’m not aware. Nobody has brought any dead body to show me.
“On my own part, I knew that my boy sustained injury and other issues. If there is at all, you should ask the criminals there. Some of them have actually complied.
“Government has made provisions where there is state-of-the-art facilities. We told them please leave so that to avoid rancor. The following day (yesterday) my operatives went there to go and see the compliance with that piece of instructions only for us to go there and were struck that they were prepared for us by throwing stones, some of them have these sticks with nails and other offensive weapons.
“In the process four of my operatives were injured. They cut one with cutlass and removed his teeth. We had some gunshots. We didn’t go there to use force on anybody, it was persuasion. We were shocked when they resisted. Some of those hardened criminals that are there were behind the resistance.
“They grabbed one of my operatives and took him to a place and locked him up. He was able to communicate with me with his phone that he was been held. I had to send people to rescue him and call other sister security agencies to our aid because Atikankan is notorious.”
“Ekiti State Security Agency has always been free of rancor, about three years ago that we started our operation.