Osun Amotekun, O’Ambulance Lock Horns Over Office Accommodation

• O’ Ambulance GM Manhandled
• It’s A Blackmail- Amotekun Spokesperson

By Ismaeel Uthman

There is a cold war between the management of Osun Ambulance Service and the leadership of the Osun Security Network named operation Amotekun.

The cold war is as a result of an attempt to forcefully take over the O’ Ambulance office located inside the Government House Annex, Oke-Fia, Osogbo by Amotekun operatives, it was learnt.

Contrary to denial and attempts to cover up, OSUN DEFENDER authoritatively gathered that the General Manager of the O’ Ambulance, Dr. Segun Babatunde was manhandled by some armed Amotekun ad-hoc personnel while attempting to forcefully evict staff of the agency from the building on  Monday evening.

Findings by the medium also revealed that the Director-General of Amotekun, Chief Amitolu Shittu had some three weeks ago informed the management of the O’ Ambulance that the security outfit would henceforth be using the agency’s office.

The medium gathered that the O’ Ambulance management rejected Amitolu’s position, telling him that the building was allocated the agency by the state government and there had not been any directive to vacate the place.

The agency is occupying three apartments in the annex.

Investigations revealed that occupants of some of the buildings inside the annex had been given vacation notices by the state government.

But O’ Ambulance has not been given such notice as at the time of filing this report.

A copy of the eviction notice sighted by OSUN DEFENDER yesterday was signed by Adewale A. Fayoyiwa who is the Coordinating Director of the Governor’s Office.

The Quit Notice reads: “I am directed to refer to the above subject matter and inform you to vacate the apartment you are currently occupying at the Government House Annex, Oke-Fia, Osogbo immediately.

“This is to enable the government renovate the quarters for other purposes in the public interest.

“You are to note that, all individuals and organizations currently occupying any of the apartments in the Government House Annex, Oke-Fia, Osogbo are advised to vacate the premises immediately. Kindly note that, any recalcitrant occupier will be dealt with accordingly.”

The bombardment of the O’Ambulance building on Monday by Amotekun ad-hoc staff generated tension and exposed the silent fight between the two government agencies.

However, Babatunde, the O’Ambulance General Manager, refused to comment on the matter when contacted on phone on Wednesday.

Babatunde said: “I didn’t know anything about what you are saying”, and he dropped the call.

OSUN DEFENDER was reliably informed that both Babatunde and Amitolu have been instructed not to talk to the press on the matter to avoid embarrassing the state government.

But a senior officer of the O’Ambulance, who spoke with the medium on condition of anonymity, confirmed the molestation of Babatunde by the Amotekun ad-hoc staff on Monday.

She said: “About four weeks ago, the Amotekun people led by Amitolu came to where we have our quarters at the government house annex. They said we should leave for them. We told them Amotekun has its office at the Olajoku Park in Gbongan. They said the place is too far; that they wanted to use our quarters in the Annex.

“They did not go to those who allocated the office to us, they came directly to our office and told us that everybody should go out and nobody should come to the place again.

“This place was allocated to O’Ambulance and the building was refurbished completely by us. We sunk another borehole for the facility; we sunk soak away pits there and ensured the place was conducive for our operations.

“The first time the Amotekun came to us was about four weeks ago and they came back two weeks after with the same directive that we should vacate our apartments for them. They barricaded our apartment and told us that we would not be allowed entry into the place again. We have documents that made us the legal occupants of the building.

“Later, the Governor learnt about it and the matter abated for a while.

“What we saw again on Monday evening was that 19 of the Amotekun ad-hoc personnel came to the building in two fully loaded vehicles, heavily armed with charms, machetes and local guns and surrounded the place and told us that no one should either go in or come out of the place.

“But we told them that nothing of such could happen: that this is our office. They rough-handled our General Manager. They threatened him with charms. They later left when we resisted their attempt to take over the place.”

Denying the allegations, the Media Consultant to the Amotekun DG, Alhaji Lateef Agboola, said the security outfit was not attempting to forcefully take over the O’Ambulance office.

Agboola described the allegations as an attempt to blackmail Shittu and bring him to disrepute.