By Michael Ofulue, Osogbo

The Osun State Command of the Amotekun Corps has refuted allegations by the All Progressives Congress (APC) accusing the corps of arresting and detaining opposition members unlawfully, describing the claims as unfounded, mischievous, and politically charged.

Reacting to the accusations in a statement issued on Thursday and made available to journalists in Osogbo, the Corps’ Public Relations Officer, Mr. Yusuf Idowu Abass, urged members of the public to disregard what he termed “deliberate misinformation” by political actors.

It would be recalled that the Osun APC had raised alarm over alleged political harassment, illegal detention, and intimidation of its members by operatives of the security outfit.

Dismissing the claims, the Amotekun spokesman stated: “The assertion that Amotekun is being used as a political tool to harass opposition members is patently false. Our operations are intelligence-driven, non-partisan, and geared towards addressing genuine security concerns.”

Shedding light on recent arrests made in Itaapa, Abass explained that they were carried out following credible intelligence about the activities of unauthorised armed groups masquerading as community security operatives.

He further clarified that traditional leaders mentioned in the APC’s statement were never abducted, but merely invited for questioning in connection with the incident.

“They were granted administrative bail and later re-invited as new developments emerged in the case. The law is no respecter of persons—traditional or otherwise,” he added.

Abass also described as fiction the APC’s claim that the corps operates “a dingy underground cell” in Osogbo.

“Our detention facilities are open to appropriate oversight. We operate in full compliance with human rights standards, and several national and international observers have acknowledged our professionalism,” he stated.

Speaking on recruitment, the Amotekun spokesperson said all personnel are subjected to thorough background checks in collaboration with statutory security agencies to ensure that only fit and qualified individuals are engaged.

“We categorically reject the defamatory insinuation that we recruit cultists or thugs. Osun Amotekun is made up of disciplined, well-trained, and community-trusted personnel—many of whom are ex-service men and women with impeccable records,” he maintained.