OSOGBO, Nigeria — Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has pledged that those behind last month’s deadly violence in Akinlalu, Ife North LGA, will be prosecuted, directing all personnel of the Amotekun Corps needed for questioning to submit to police investigators.
Speaking during a condolence visit to Akinlalu on Monday, the governor described the incident as “unacceptable,” assuring bereaved families and residents that “there won’t be any sacred cow.”
Residents accuse operatives of the Western Nigeria Security Network—popularly known as Amotekun—of storming the town on Sept. 30 and killing at least three people without provocation, then removing the victims’ bodies. The Osun State Police Command has confirmed five arrests linked to the attack and said several Amotekun offices have been shut pending investigations. Police spokesperson DSP Abiodun Ojelabi stated that preliminary findings indicate Amotekun operatives carried out the assault.
Adeleke said an inquiry into the Amotekun commander in the state, Isaac Omoyele, is ongoing. “Any Amotekun officer needed for interrogation by the police is to cooperate with the investigation,” he said, adding that the state will cover medical costs for the wounded and has arranged critical equipment, including ventilators, for their care.
Community leaders welcomed the governor’s on-the-ground engagement. Youth leader Musibau Adeboye called the visit “a powerful statement of compassion, leadership, and unwavering commitment” to citizens’ welfare. But anger remains high. The Aro of Akinlalu, Kamorudeen Oyebamiji—who said he lost three relatives—urged State Assembly Speaker Adewale Egbedun to retract comments favoring the swift reopening of Amotekun offices. “All we are calling for is justice,” he said.
The controversy places fresh scrutiny on Amotekun, a regional security outfit established by Southwest states to combat banditry, kidnapping, and rural crime. Rights groups have repeatedly urged clearer rules of engagement, tighter oversight, and seamless coordination with the Nigeria Police Force to prevent abuses and jurisdictional clashes.
Adeleke, who said he was in the United States when the incident occurred, offered prayers for victims and pledged a transparent process. He did not give a timeline for the investigation but reiterated that accountability would be pursued “to the full wrath of the law.”
As police continue their probe and tensions simmer in Akinlalu, residents are pressing for an impartial, public-facing inquiry, prosecution of any officers found culpable, and safeguards to ensure community security efforts never again turn deadly.
