Three persons were reportedly killed after a team of Amotekun operatives engaged some hoodlums in a shootout in Akinlalu, in Ife-North Local Government Area of Osun State.

It was gathered that some residents, on Tuesday, sent a distress call to Amotekun over activities of hoodlums terrorizing the community.

But a team of Amotekun operatives that was dispatched to the community to gather intelligence was ambushed and their guns were seized and the operatives taken hostage.

A statement issued by Amotekun spokesperson Yusuf Idowu on Tuesday, which confirmed the incident, stated that the hoodlums ambushed four personnel dispatched to the community on motorcycles and seized two barrel guns belonging to the operatives.

According to him, a report of the incident was sent to the Amotekun command in Ile-Ife, leading to the deployment of more personnel with a view to resolving the issue.

“However, when the reinforcement was about to get to the community it found a barricade and more hoodlums, suspected to be part of the gang terrorizing the community and resisted dialogue.

“The hoodlums suddenly opened fire on the team, which resulted into crossfire for over 30 minutes, with the operatives at the end of which three of the hoodlums were killed.

“Also, three suspects were arrested while several others sustained injuries and fled the scene. Later, a team that entered the community for a search recovered the two guns seized from the operatives and recovered force uniforms used by the hoodlums for impersonation,” he said.

Meanwhile, Osun Amotekun Corps Commander, Isaac Omoyele, condemned the attack in the strongest terms, affirming the agency’s resolve to continue protecting lives, property, and the sovereignty of Osun communities.

“This cowardly ambush will not deter our operatives from carrying out their duties. The safety and security of our people remain our utmost priority. We will intensify our efforts to root out criminal elements threatening peace in our communities,” he said. (Vanguard)