Residents flee Oyo community over alleged killing of Operation Burst operative

Scores of residents of Iluju town in the Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State have fled the town, PulseNets gathered.

Our correspondent learnt that the residents, especially youths, deserted the town over the fear of possible arrest or attack by security operatives.

PulseNets gathered on Tuesday that the need to desert the town became necessary due to the alleged killing of one of the operatives of a joint security outfit known as Operation Burst on Sunday.

Our correspondent recalls that Operation Burst, which consists of men of the Nigerian Army and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), was established by the administration of the immediate past governor of the state, late Abiola Ajimobi for timely response to security breaches in the state.

It was gathered that a resident parked his motorcycle on the football field where the match between Iluju United and another team was to be played but the owner of the motorcycle refused to remove it from the field.

The refusal of the owner to remove the motorcycle led to a fight which made some concerned residents call the attention of Operation Burst to restore normalcy.

It was gathered that one of the operatives of Operation Burst shot in the air and a young boy close to him who heard the gunshot fainted.

It was after the boy fainted that some of the residents who thought that the boy had died began to attack the operatives of the security outfit.

It was gathered that one of the operatives was hit with an object and he died.

Sources said that the vehicle belonging to the security outfit was also vandalised.

Our correspondent learnt that majority of the residents of the town have fled the town since Sunday.

While some of them have gone to stay with their relatives in Ogbomoso, others have gone to stay with their relatives in Ilorin, Offa in Kwara State.

Director-General of the security outfit, Col. Oladipo Ajibola (rtd.), confirmed the development.

He confirmed that one of the operatives of the security outfit has been killed.

“A soldier was not killed, but an officer of Operation Burst,” he said.

“It was hoodlums who came en mass to overwhelm Operation Burst personnel on a distress call that killed the officer and set our vehicle ablaze on Sunday”.