Rufus Giwa Poly Students Protest Alleged Killing of Colleague by Amotekun in Ondo

Fidelis David

Students of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo State yesterday protested the death of one of their colleagues, Folarera Ademola, an ND1 student from the Department of Science Laboratory Technology who was allegedly killed by an officer of the state Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun corps.

The protesting students have also given the state government a 24-hour ultimatum to hand over the said officer to the Nigeria Police for proper prosecution, take charge of the deceased’s burial, and compensate the family.

Speaking on behalf of the students, the Students’ Union President, Olorunda Oluwafemi, confirmed that the boy was shot on the 27th of June by an officer of the Amotekun in front of his parents’ house.

Oluwafemi added that the deceased suffered the gunshot wounds for 10 days before he was taken to the federal medical centre Owo, where he gave up the ghost yesterday (Thursday).

The protesting students also marched from the school gate through the Palace of Olowo before taking the protest to the governor’s office at Alagbaka, Akure, to further express their grievances.

Another student of the institution who preferred anonymity told THISDAY that “after he was shot, Amotekun took Ademola to a local herbalist for extraction of bullet pellets lodged in his thighs and stomach but ended up abandoning him there.

Ademola’s mother was denied access to him until his health worsened and he was referred to a hospital considered to be quack. In his failed attempts to resuscitate Ademola’s health, the quack doctor allegedly quickly sent him to Federal Medical Centre, Owo, where he later died. The bullets had eaten up his intestines and severely damaged his liver,” he added.

Reacting through a statement, the state Commander of Amotekun, Mr. Adetunji Adeleye, said he received with dismay and sadness the news of the death of the student.

While explaining what led to the unfortunate death of the student, Adeleye said, “In its avowed determination to ensure that Ondo State is rid of criminal elements, the state Amotekun Corps is investigating the case of a syndicate that specialises in attacking Okada riders with dangerous weapons and dispossess them of their motorcycles in the process.

“Luck however ran out of one of the syndicates who was given a hot chase into a building in Owo by men of the Amotekun corps where other 15 members of the gang were met in the building, seven out of the men stacked naked inside the room filled with smoke. And four Okadas were also found inside the bedroom,” he said.

According to Adeleye, “after introducing themselves to the men, the men struggled to disarm the operative whose alarm attracted the other two outside.

“In an attempt to apprehend the suspect, they swung on men of the corps, trying to disarm them and in the course of the struggle, one of their rifles triggered off and hit one of the suspects and an Amotekun officer.”

He noted that at that instance, none of them told Amotekun officers that they were students.

He said that his men eventually overpowered the suspects, arrested and took them to the corps office in Owo where they were detained while investigation continued.

“We sincerely register our condolences to the family and friends of the deceased while we continue with our in depth and thorough investigation to the real cause of his death,” he added