Insecurity: South-West Governors need to strengthen Amotekun Corps
By Ismail Azeez
The Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Operation Amotekun, was established across the six South-West states of Nigeria six years ago to help curb insecurity in the region.
Security is the primary responsibility of any serious government at all levels. It is no longer news that states such as Osun, Oyo, Ogun, Ekiti, and Ondo are facing persistent challenges from kidnapping and banditry, which require urgent and sustained attention.
A few weeks ago, two residents of Ora-Igbomina, a border community in the Ifedayo Local Government Area of Osun State, were abducted, with their kidnappers demanding a ransom of N100 million for their release.
Similarly, students of the Federal College of Agriculture, Akure, were allegedly abducted at Oke Oge in the Oba-Ile area of the Akure North Local Government Area. The kidnappers subsequently demanded a ransom of N15 million from the families of the three students to secure their freedom.
Furthermore, a disturbing mass abduction occurred across three schools in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, where no fewer than 45 pupils were reportedly taken. The affected institutions were Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Esiele; and L.A. Primary School.
This deteriorating situation shows that South-West governors must prioritize strengthening the Amotekun Corps through increased funding, the recruitment of well-trained personnel, and the provision of modern operational equipment.
As a community-based security outfit, Amotekun possesses vital local knowledge and grassroots networks that can complement the efforts of conventional security agencies. Strong support from state executives would greatly enhance intelligence gathering and improve emergency response times in both rural and urban communities.
Strengthening the Amotekun Corps should be a top priority for South-West governors if the region is to effectively combat kidnapping, banditry, and other criminal activities threatening its peace, security, and development.
According to the Olowu of Kuta, Oba Adekunle Oyelude Makama, the South-West already has a framework for state policing through Amotekun. He emphasized that every state government should strengthen its respective Amotekun corps, while the Federal Government should also up its game by deploying more security platforms.
The monarch noted that no traditional ruler holds statutory power anymore, explaining that what exists today are influential monarchs because the actual powers of traditional rulers were eroded long ago.
He stated that dialogue is ongoing, with the Federal and state governments actively communicating with traditional institutions. He noted that these interface meetings occur through the National Council of Traditional Rulers and various state councils, emphasizing that monarchs remain the closest leaders to the people.
He concluded that the speed with which the National Assembly passes executive bills should also be applied to enacting laws that will formally include traditional rulers in the constitution.