Tag: Amotekun

With the highest investment in personnel and equipment, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has succeeded in making the state security agency code-named Amotekun a model in Southwest.

The Nation’s research shows the agency boasts of 2,500 operatives, a figure higher than those of other states combined. This makes Oyo Amotekun have visible presence and success stories in the 33 local governments of the state.

The agency also has 182 well-serviced patrol vans and cars, as well as 450 motorcycles used to penetrate rural communities and other hard-to-reach areas across the state.

In addition to the above personnel and equipment, Governor Makinde also gives moral support to motivate the agency, always pointing out that the state as a federating unit enjoys the freedom to operate such agency in its fundamental duty to protect residents, property and investments.

The operatives also enjoy health and life insurance to cater for medical bills and compensation in case of death.

Given its many success stories, Oyo Amotekun has justified its establishment, strengthening the need to practise true federalism.

Hailing the agency in a recent interview on radio, the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Mr Ayodele Shonubi, said: “Amotekun has been a vitally useful agency in securing Oyo State. Nobody sees them as competitor. They are playing their complimentary roles these days; and effectively too. We don’t have enough manpower. The synergy is working well. A good example was when there was an explosion in Ibadan. Amotekun did well in securing the site against looting by hoodlums throughout the period of clearing the rubble. Other security agencies also did well. That synergy was good and we have kept it since then.”

Read Also: Makinde meets Amotekun Commanders, pledges improved security in southwest

The choice of Amotekun (Leopard) as the nomenclature for the Southwest Security Network Agency was borne out of the versatility of the big cat in hunting, which reflects in its speed, strong teeth and claws, ability to operate on ground, on trees and in water, as well as its impressive skills in hunting, with emphasis on its precision in pouncing on preys.

The establishment of Amotekun came on the heels of rising cases of kidnapping and other criminalities, which reached a crescendo mid-2019 when Governor Makinde took over in Oyo State. Joining his brother governors in Southwest, Makinde took a leading role in ensuring the agency was able to operate in spite of opposition from the then Federal Government.

The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, has barred the Ondo State Security Network codenamed Amotekun Corps from providing security for Saturday’s governorship election.

Egbetokun said no quasi-security organisation, including state-backed groups like Vigilante Corps or Amotekun, would be permitted to participate in the election process.

A statement by Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said security of the election was a responsibility entrusted solely to the Nigeria Police Force and other federal security agencies, along with the broader membership of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).

Egbetokun assured the public of the Force’s unwavering readiness to ensure a peaceful and orderly election process across all 18 Local Government Areas, 203 Wards, and 3,933 Polling Units in the state.

He said a comprehensive plans have been set in motion to guarantee a smooth election, including strategic deployment of adequate personnel, resources, and state-of-the-art equipment.

According to the statement: “The IGP has also issued a stern warning to political thugs and any individuals or groups who may contemplate acts of violence or disruption before, during, or after the election: they will face the full force of the law. The message is clear—those who attempt to jeopardize the peace and security of the state will not go unpunished.

Read Also: Amotekun to recruit 700 personnel in November, says Corps Commander

“The deployment will see officers from various specialized units, including the Special Intervention Squad, Police Mobile Force (PMF), Counter-Terrorism Unit (CTU), Special Protection Unit (SPU), Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit, K-9 Unit, Federal Investigation and Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT), and Federal Intelligence and Security Task Force (FID-STS), working in concert with other security agencies.

” These agencies will adhere strictly to the guidelines of the Electoral Act, 2022, ensuring that all measures taken align with the principles of fairness, transparency, and order.

“In addition to ground personnel, aerial patrols will be conducted with police helicopters, while gunboats will patrol the state’s waterways and riverine areas to ensure security across all terrains. These comprehensive measures will serve as a deterrent to any attempt to disrupt the electoral process and will enhance the overall stability of the elections.”

Commander of the Ondo State Security Network codenamed Amotekun Corps, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, has cautioned residents in the state against buying second-hand products without collecting original verifiable receipt of purchase.

Adeleye, who urged residents not to fall prey to criminals, said there have been lots of economic breaches due to the downturn of the economy.

The Ondo Amotekun Commander spoke while parading 20 out of the 68 suspects arrested for various crimes within one week.

Among the suspects were three teenage siblings who were arrested for breaking into people’s apartments.

The three siblings, aged between 12 and 15 were said to have broken into several homes to steal household items.

One Abubakar Usman who collected N2m from his victim was also paraded.

Read Also: Aiyedatiwa reappoints Adeleye Amotekun commander

Adeleye said the Amotekun Rangers recently launched by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, had penetrated the forest and were able to stop five kidnap attempts within the period under review.

He said nine victims were successfully rescued.

According to him, “The notorious portion of Elegbeka had been bombarded, and we are glad to say that the Amotekun rangers had infiltrated the entire forest around Elegbeka to guarantee the safety of commuters’ lives and property of the people of the area.

“In the next few weeks, we are going to dominate Ala, Ago-Oyibo, Ogbese, Jugbere, and other forests.

In Irun-Akoko, we apprehended Bello Sunday. And we have a family that specializes in breaking into houses comprising of the husband, the wife, and the children, a family of robbers.

“I want to place it on record that Ondo State is very, very safe to commuters, to indigenes and people doing genuine businesses. Please don’t buy second-hand products.”

Operatives of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun, have rescued four travellers kidnapped along the Akure/Benin highway. 

Two of the suspected kidnappers were arrested.

They demanded N20m as ransom before they were smashed.

The rescue operation was led by Commander of Ondo Amotekun Corps Akogun Adetunji Adeleye and supported by local hunters.

Parading the suspects at the Amotekum headquarters in Akure, the state capital, Commander Adeleye said the suspects engaged in a gun battle before they were captured alive.

“A day before the rescue, there was a reported kidnapping along a well-known route. Our team swiftly mobilized and, in collaboration with local hunters, we combed the forest where the victims were believed to be held. By the end of the day, we successfully rescued four people.

Read Also: Amotekun arrests 27 suspects over alleged kidnapping, stealing, others

 “These criminals have been arrested before but somehow managed to return to the same locality. Now, we have them again.”

“One suspect was identified as the individual who extorted ₦1.2 million in ransom from a family in August.

“This arrest sends a strong message: there is no hiding place for kidnappers in Ondo State anymore.

 “We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that these criminals are brought to justice and that our communities remain safe.”

The rescued victims were said to be receiving medical attention and psychological support to enable them recover from their ordeal.

Western Nigeria Security Network in Ondo State, code named Amotekun Corps, has arrested 27 suspects over alleged kidnapping, stealing and other crimes.

The state Commander of the  Amotekun Corps, Mr Adetunji Adeleye, broke the news while parading the suspects before reporters yesterday in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

Adeleye said the suspects, including four alleged kidnappers, were arrested in various parts of the state.

He said the suspected kidnappers and other gang members still on the run had for long been terrorising  villagers in Ikakumo-Akoko.

“We also arrested a major member of a syndicate that specialises in killing commercial motorcycle riders, after robbing them.

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“We went as far as Kogi and Edo, before we were able to track and arrest the suspect, who is here on parade.”

“He has confessed to stealing so many motorcycles in the last five years in Akure, Ogbese and Uso .

“He said he has lost count of the number of motorcycles stolen, and after dispossessing their owners of them, dismantled them, and took the parts out of the state in pieces,” the commander said.

Adeleye said the command’s personnel also arrested five suspects who specialise in stealing household equipment and foodstuffs.

Equally arrested were suspects, who allegedly broke into a shop and stole mattresses, which were sold between N5,000 and N10,000.

The commander further said that the recent establishment of the Amotekun Rangers had yielded positive results as some suspected criminals have been arrested in border forests in Edo and Kogi.