By Fresh Facts Reporter
Ijeda-Ijesa, Osun State – Tragedy struck in Osun State over the weekend as an operative of the Amotekun Corps, Samuel Tope, was allegedly killed by a soldier identified as Opejobi Fiyinfoluwa in a brutal and unprovoked attack in the Ijeda-Ijesa community.
The 35-year-old operative reportedly sustained a severe head injury during the assault on Saturday evening and later died in the early hours of Sunday while receiving treatment at Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesa.
In an official statement released on Sunday by the Osun State Commander of the Amotekun Corps, Mr. Adekunle Omoyele, the attack was described as both senseless and deliberate. According to Omoyele, the suspect — a recently recruited soldier of the Nigerian Army — arrived at the Amotekun station in Ijebu-Jesa wearing military camouflage and behaving aggressively.
“The incident occurred around 5:45 p.m. when a soldier, identified as Opejobi Fiyinfoluwa, launched an unprovoked assault on our operative, Officer Samuel Tope,” the statement read. “Fiyinfoluwa, in full military uniform, approached the station with the declared intention of ‘dealing decisively with Amotekun personnel.’”
Eyewitness accounts stated that shortly after making his threat, the soldier, accompanied by unnamed accomplices, waylaid Officer Tope who was riding his motorcycle near the station. The group allegedly struck Tope on the head with a blunt object, causing him to fall from his bike. The beating reportedly continued for about 20 minutes without any intervention, leaving the victim unconscious and bleeding profusely.
Following the attack, the soldier and his accomplices fled the scene on a commercial motorcycle.
Amotekun operatives who arrived shortly after the incident evacuated Tope to the hospital and notified both the Divisional Police Headquarters in Ijebu-Jesa and Lt. Col. Yunusa Isyaku at the Nigerian Army Engineering Cantonment in Ede.
Despite emergency medical efforts, Officer Tope succumbed to his injuries early Sunday morning.
The Osun Amotekun Corps Commander has since called for a full-scale investigation into the incident. “We will not rest until justice is served. This is not just an attack on one of our own; it is an attack on the security architecture of Osun State,” Omoyele declared.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage among residents and security stakeholders in the state, with many demanding accountability and swift action from the Nigerian Army and relevant security agencies.
As at the time of filing this report, the Nigerian Army is yet to issue an official response on the matter.
