The Ondo State Police Command has launched a manhunt for an officer of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun, Akinfaderin Obateru, over the alleged brutal assault of a resident, Segun Olorunju, in Ilutitun, Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state.

Olorunju is currently receiving treatment at the State Specialist Hospital, Okitipupa, after he was allegedly beaten, stripped naked and seriously injured by a group of suspects.

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Jimoh Abayomi, said one suspect, Gbenga Akinfaderin, had been arrested in connection with the case, while Obateru remained at large.

“The arrested suspect is being investigated for alleged conspiracy, assault occasioning harm and conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace,” Abayomi said.

According to him, preliminary investigations indicated that Obateru allegedly led the attack, prompting the command to intensify efforts to apprehend him and other fleeing suspects.

“The command is making concerted efforts to arrest the fleeing suspects. Anyone found culpable will be brought to justice. No individual or group will be allowed to take the law into their own hands,” the police spokesman added.

Meanwhile, an Ondo-based lawyer, Mr Wale Odusola, who visited the victim at the hospital, said Olorunju’s condition remained serious, with medical personnel suspecting that he might have sustained a head injury.

“The victim has been complaining of severe headaches, and doctors have recommended a brain scan to determine the extent of the suspected injury,” Odusola said.

He explained that the scan could not be conducted in Okitipupa and would have to be carried out either in Ondo or Akure, adding that the victim’s family lacked the financial resources to cover the cost.

“I have made a financial contribution towards his treatment and will continue to monitor the situation,” he said.

Narrating the circumstances surrounding the alleged assault, Odusola noted that Olorunju was still unconscious and unable to provide his own account of the incident.

“I am relying on information provided by the victim’s sister, who alleged that Segun was previously in a relationship with a woman who later got married to the Amotekun officer. This is an allegation that I have not independently verified,” he said.

According to the lawyer, the victim’s sister alleged that the officer’s elder brother contacted Olorunju and invited him to a location under the guise of wanting to see him.

“She claimed that he was ambushed, abducted and taken to another location where he was brutally beaten,” Odusola stated.

He further said the family alleged that when Olorunju’s condition deteriorated, the Amotekun officer and others involved in the attack took him to a clinic in Ilutitun before he was later transferred to the State Specialist Hospital in Okitipupa.

“Those allegedly linked to the attack have neither visited him at the hospital nor contributed to his medical expenses,” he added.

Odusola said he had contacted the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Ilutitun Police Station and obtained the names of persons allegedly involved in the incident.

“The officer’s brother has been arrested and remains in police custody, while the Amotekun officer is said to have fled,” he said.

The lawyer called on the police to ensure a thorough investigation of the matter and bring anyone found responsible to justice. (Daily Trust)