Wives of detained operatives of the Osun Security Network Agency (Amotekun Corps), on Tuesday, staged a peaceful protest at the Ooni of Ife’s palace in Osun, seeking intervention for the release of their detained husbands.

The protesters carried placards with inscriptions like “Children of Detained Innocent Amotekun are Denied School” and “Oonirisa, Please Intervene as Head of Yoruba Race,” among others.

The women described their action as a desperate plea for justice, asking the state government and those in positions of authority to intervene to secure their husbands’ freedom.

One of the protesters, Omolola Adedokun, who addressed journalists, appealed to the Ooni to use his moral authority and influence to secure the release of their husbands.

Mrs Adedokun disclosed that the women had earlier submitted petitions to the Osun House of Assembly and other relevant authorities, but no concrete resolution has been achieved so far.

Fatima Oroniyan, another protester, said the continuous detention of her husband had brought about untold hardship to her and her four children.

She maintained that her husband, Damilare Oroniyan, was innocent, adding that he was not on duty when the alleged Akinlalu incident happened.

“My husband is always crying anytime I speak with him on the phone, and he is also in need of medical care because he is not feeling well,” she said.

Similarly, Oluwaseyi Oyewole said the Akinlalu incident led to the razing of her husband’s father’s house.

She said her husband, Ebenezer Oyewole, from Akinlalu village, was picked up by the police, while the villagers, in the process, burnt down his father’s house.

Mrs Oyewole claimed that her husband had nothing to do with the killings in Akinlalu village, adding that he and his family were just being punished for a crime they knew nothing about.

She appealed to the federal government and the police to look into the matter again and do the needful.

The Arode of Ife, Kayode Awofiranye, who spoke on behalf of the Ooni’s Palace, informed the protesters that Mr Ogunwusi was out of the town.

He assured them that their concerns would be conveyed to the Ooni and urged them to return at a later date.

Twenty-five Osun Amotekun operatives were arrested and taken to Abuja in October by the police, following the alleged killings of three persons in Akinlalu village by operatives.

(NAN)