Osogbo, Osun State — On Friday, August 2, 2024, Babatunde Oyetunji, an auto mechanic based in Osogbo, recounted a harrowing incident in which armed individuals raided his workshop and made off with vehicles and spare parts worth millions of naira.
Oyetunji, visibly emotional as he spoke with journalists, detailed how three vehicles, new automobile engines, and gears belonging to his customers were stolen. The raid took place at his workshop located on Ring Road, opposite the NNPC mega station in Osogbo, Osun State capital.
According to Oyetunji, the attackers wore Amotekun uniforms and wielded various dangerous weapons. The incident occurred shortly after he had left for Ibadan for work, leaving him shocked and distressed.
The traumatised mechanic, who struggled to hold back tears, explained that the raid happened around 10:00 am on Monday, July 29, 2024. He listed the stolen items, which included automobile engines and gears for several vehicles, a Toyota Sienna, a Toyota Camry, a Hilux, and a 2010 Highlander Jeep.
Oyetunji has since called for public assistance and urged the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Muhammed Abba, to investigate the matter. He stated that the owners of the stolen properties have been pressuring him to recover their belongings.
“On the 29th of July, 2024, around 10 am, while I was on my way to Ibadan for work, I received a call from one of my apprentices who informed me that some armed men, numbering about 20, were in my workshop. One of them wanted to talk to me,” Oyetunji recounted.
“He gave the phone to one of them who sounded very violent and told me they were in my workshop to tow all available vehicles. When I tried to inquire about who they were and their mission, he abruptly ended the call.”
Oyetunji learned upon his return to Osogbo that the operation had lasted for eight hours, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. The thieves stole car engines and vehicle gears, including those of a Toyota Sienna, a Toyota Camry, a Hilux, and a 2010 Highlander Jeep, as well as three vehicles.
“When I returned from Ibadan, I went straight to the workshop and gathered from eyewitnesses that some of those who ransacked my workshop wore Amotekun uniforms, while others wore reflective jackets with the Osun Government logo. The witnesses said they couldn’t approach them because they were fully armed with guns and other weapons.”
Oyetunji, who has been a mechanic for over 30 years, stressed that he has never been involved in any activities that could have led to police issues. “I have officially reported the matter to the police station, and I am calling on the people in Osun and all over the country to come to my aid because the engines and gears alone are worth more than N13 million, not to mention the three vehicles brought in for repairs,” he added.
