Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has reassured Nigerians that the governors of the South West geo-political zone did not set up Amotekun Corps to fight Nigeria, but a common enemy threatening peaceful coexistence in the country.
He made the disclosure at the Passing Out Parade of 1,500 pioneers of the Oyo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun Corps, held at Emmanuel Alayande College of Education Sports Complex, Main Campus, Oyo town.
The Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun, had been officially launched on January 9 in Ibadan by Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo. The six states, through their respective Houses of Assembly, gave legal backing to the outfit.
According to the governor, “Our regional integration, through Amotekun should be seen in one light. We are coming together to fight a common enemy. That enemy is not Nigeria; the enemies are the elements among us and their affiliates, who are determined to cause commotion within our states’ borders and threaten our peaceful coexistence. The Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun, is an independent outfit. Members will answer to the state governors, but they will be working with the federal security agencies.
“But as I have argued on various fora, for governors to really play the role of Chief Security Officers of their states, state policing is the way forward. I am confident that someday, we will get enough support at the national level to achieve that constitutional review. But, for now, we will settle for the next best thing.”
Makinde noted that despite the fact that COVID-19 and other logistical issues delayed the recruitment process into the corps, “we ran an open and transparent recruitment process that culminated in announcing the 1,500 successful candidates’ names in October 2020. Shortly after that, their training began in the first week of November.
“As I said during one of my speeches following the #EndSARS protests, this is one outfit that I can boldly say hold me responsible for the actions of the members. Therefore, let me state to you 1,500 pioneers of the Amotekun Corps that you must remain excellent examples in service. You are to work for the people. You are not called to harass or intimidate the people. Instead, exhibit the highest level of professionalism in the discharge of your duties. Remember that there are limits to your authority, and always follow directives from the chain of command.
“Some of the primary functions of the Amotekun Corps as authorised by law include: collaborating with and assisting the Nigeria Police and other security agencies in gathering information. They will be involved in crime prevention, the investigation of crime, arrest, and prosecution of persons suspected of kidnapping, terrorism, destruction of livelihood, criminal damage to property, cultism, highway robbery, and any other illegal activities.”