Amotekun, Soldiers Clash over Arrest of 100 Cows Belonging to Officers in Ondo

Fidelis David

Operatives of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun and the soldiers attached to the 32 Artillery Brigade, Akure  yesterday clashed over the arrest of cows that violated the anti-grazing law of the state.

A source, who witnessed the incident with a video evidence said: “It happened at the back of CAC Adu Memorial Secondary School, in Oke-aro area of Akure, the state capital.  The men of Amotekun arrested about 100 cows which have been destroying farmlands and other valuables in the area.

He noted that men of the Amotekun were resisted from taking the cows away by the soldiers claiming that the cows belong to their officers in the barrack.

The source told journalists that “while the Amotekun personnel were matching the arrested cows to their office at Alagbaka area of the state, soldiers numbering about  10 stormed the area with Hilux vehicle and prevented the arrest of the cows.

“The soldiers insisted that the Amotekun men would not go away with the cows because they belonged to their officers from the military barrack. But the Amotekun officers insisted that the cows have violated the anti-grazing law and must be taken to the office for the owners to bail them or pay for the damaged farmlands.

“Crisis started with an exchange of hot words and it later snowballed into an exchange of blows between the two security outfits on the street. Before we know what was happening, they started shooting sporadically into the air.

” Immediately they started shooting, the residents scampered for safety in order not to be caught in the shooting by the two security outfits”, the eyewitness added.

THISDAY gathered that the soldiers eventually overpowered the Amotekun personnel and they arrested and whisked away two personnel of Amotekun.

Reacting, the state Commander of Amotekun, Mr Adetunji Adeleye described the incident as “a minor disagreement between the officers of the two security outfits”.

Adeleye said: ”It has been resolved amicably. It was the arrested herders that hid under the soldiers to cause misunderstanding between the security outfits. Let me confirm to you that the cows have been released to us.

It was also gathered that the two officers whisked away have equally been released to the state commander of the security outfit.