Amotekun shot, whisked Ibadan Poly student away 370 days ago

Amotekun shot, whisked Ibadan Poly student away 370 days ago

Olayinka Aguda, a student at The Polytechnic Ibadan, was taken by agents of the Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSN), also referred to as Amotekun, and it has been 370 days since then.

Despite efforts from friends and unlettered relatives who protested and called on the police to find Aguda, no one knows his whereabouts.

Speaking to FIJ, Lawrence Oreoluwa, the friend and roommate of Aguda who alerted the public in a social media post, said that everyone who was initially concerned had given up on the matter because it seemed like their efforts would not matter.

“We’ve also learned that we’re in Nigeria. We can’t fight the government and win. Over a year now, and his body has not even been released to us,” Oreoluwa told FIJ.

Lukman Olorunshola, Aguda’s cousin, who has always tried to get to the root of the issue, said that the unsuccessful attempts to find his cousin scarred everyone and ultimately worn them out.

“Even his parents are tired. How much more people like me?” He asked. “His parents have now given up and left everything to God. So, we have moved on.”

Aguda was faced with an ill-fated reality on December 30, 2022, in his community in Apata, Ibadan, Oyo State, when worried residents invited the Amotekun to protect them from the ferociousness of armed robbers who had invaded their neighbourhood.

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But instead of systematically dealing with the thieves, the Amotekun shot sporadically, which caused chaos. The loud and sudden gunshots from the Amotekun officers woke Aguda, who believed that the armed robbers had invaded his neighbourhood.

This was what led the student to run away from his house in search of refuge elsewhere.

“Immediately after Aguda woke up, he ran out of his house to seek shelter in a school close to his house. This was when he ran into some Amotekun officers, and they shot him,” Olorunshola earlier told FIJ.

“To preserve their image and further make the entire neighbourhood believe Aguda was indeed an armed robber, the same officers stormed my cousin’s residence and arrested the four young men they found there. They also claimed that they were robbers and charged them with theft when they took them to Apata Police Station.”

Olorunshola said his cousin’s roommates were released from police custody a few days later, but Aguda remained unaccounted for.

“His parents have lost hope. They are elderly and cannot take much action. Their resignation has also disheartened us. As for me, I fear that the young man may have died. He has been in Amotekun’s custody since December 30,” Olorunshola lamented.

FIJ attempted to contact the official line of Amotekun’s Ido Local Government Area branch, the unit responsible for the security of Aguda’s neighbourhood, but the handler did not answer our calls. They had not responded to a text sent to their phone at press time.

FIJ also contacted Adewale Osifeso, the Oyo State Police spokesperson, for comments on the matter, but he did not take his calls. At press time, he had not responded to the text sent to his phone.

A text message sent to the number was also unanswered.

Amotekun shot, whisked Ibadan Poly student away 370 days ago