A truck containing about 80 men suspected to be armed Fulani bandits has been intercepted by the Amotekun security outfit in Oyo State.
The arrest was made around Iwo Road in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital with the men claiming to be heading to Lagos and Ogun State from Kano.
While conducting a quick search on them after their vehicle was intercepted, items such as bows, arrows, and daggers were found on them.
Also, about 25 motorcycles and cows which they claimed they were taking to the abattoir in Lagos state were also discovered in the truck.
However, when the search activity was generating attention and residents began gathering, the Commandant of Amotekun in Oyo State, Col. Olayinka Olayanju (rtd) disclosed they had to move the truck to a police station for further activity.
He said as reported by Punch: “We arrested about 80 men in a truck. We found some bows and arrows and knives in the truck. They also had some cows and motorcycles there.
“We couldn’t carry out a thorough search because we had started attracting attention so we moved them to the police station nearby.”
When contacted on phone, the Police Public Relations Officer in Oyo State, Mr. Olugbenga Fadeyi, also confirmed the incident but added that the men and the truck have been released after they were searched and interrogated but nothing incriminating was found on them.
He said, “Some persons were intercepted and they were taken to Agodi Police Station where they were profiled. They said they were coming from Wudil in Kano and were going to Lagos and some to Ogun State. They said they were taking the cows to the abattoir in Agege, Lagos.
“We didn’t find anything incriminating on them. They were released and escorted to the Toll Gate area on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. They are no longer in Oyo State territory.”
Meanwhile, the private sector-led coalition against COVID-19 (CACOVID) has debunked a statement by the BUA group, stating that the company has purchased one million doses of COVID-19 vaccine for Nigeria.
The BUA in a statement on Monday stated that it had paid for the dreaded disease remedy through the AFREXIM Vaccine programme in partnership with CACOVID.
The firm revealed that the vaccines will be delivered next week, adding that it will be distributed at no cost to Nigerian citizens.
“These doses of the vaccine which should be delivered by next week will be the first delivery of Vaccines to Nigeria since the COVID-19 vaccines became available,” the statement noted.
Reacting, the CACOVID operations committee denied that BUA would singlehandedly secure the doses
The group added that purchase of the vaccine cannot be done by individuals or companies, but only through the federal government.
