Kehinde Adewole, Ado-Ekiti and Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure

Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi and Are-Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, yesterday allayed fears being expressed from some quarters that the South West Security outfit, Amotekun, was a ploy by the region to secede from the country.

They said the South West governors and people were only working towards a secured and detribalised Nigeria.

Both Fayemi and Adams said the South West region remains part of Nigeria and shall continue to be part of the country and committed to a united and indivisible Nigeria.

They spoke, yesterday when the governor hosted a pan-Yoruba development interest group, the Oodua Progressive Union (OPU) Worldwide.

Represented by his deputy, Bisi Egbeyemi, Fayemi said nobody should entertain any fear of secession by the South West over the launch of Amotekun which, he said, was meant to protect all Nigerians resident in the region.

Fayemi said the South West governors established Amotekun to tackle criminal activities like armed robbery, kidnapping, illegal destruction of lives and property and give assurance of safety to all residents.

He said: “Amotekun is not political, it was established for the protection of our people and stem the tide of armed robbery, kidnapping, illegal destruction of lives and property.

“This is the first time the region is united on the need to raise a security platform to complement the existing security agencies to protect lives and property of our people which is our constitutional duty.

“I also want to say the South West is not seceding from Nigeria. The region remains part of Nigeria and it will remain committed to a united and indivisible Nigerian federation.”

On his part, Adams hailed the six governors in the South West for coming together with the idea of a security arrangement to protect their people’s lives and property in the zone.

Meanwhile, Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu has disclosed that recruitment into Amotekun will soon commence in the six South West states.

The governor said arrangements have been concluded on the recruitment exercise, stressing that those willing to work in the new security outfit will be trained by certified security experts.

Akeredolu, who spoke through his Special Adviser on security, Jimoh Dojumo, at a press conference in Akure, the state capital, said the governors are working on modalities for recruitment into the security outfit and the date to kickstart it.

“Security issue is not what you reveal in the media. You keep certain things in order to achieve your desired results. I won’t reveal our modalities but I will simply tell you we are working round the clock for the commencement of Operation Amotekun.

“The recruitment exercise will soon commence in the six states and the personnel will commence work soon as well,” he said.