Yuletide: South-west governors direct joint operations for Amotekun
Southwest Governors have approved joint operation for officers of the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun, to patrol the entire region as part of the efforts to enhance inter-border patrol during the festive period.
The development is aimed at providing adequate security to the people in the region.
Chairman of the Southwest Governors Forum (SGF), Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, disclosed this on Tuesday, through his Senior Special Assistant on Security, Alhaji Jimoh Dojumo.
Akeredolu described the decision as a round peg in a round hole, noting that the exercise will involve officers patrolling the roads, towns, and villages within the region on 24 hours basis.
Dojumo said that the Southwest Governors led by its Chairman and the Ondo State Governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, approved the joint operation to check banditry, kidnapping, and wanton destruction of lives, properties, and other security challenges which had reduced drastically in the region.
“We are the one coordinating all the commanders. The steps and actions that commanders are taking have received the blessings of all the Governors led by Arakunrin Akeredolu.
“The people should cooperate with Amotekun because they are there for their own interest. They should help Amotekun to help themselves.”
Speaking, during the flag-off of the inter-border patrol in Owena town, a boundary community between Osun and Ondo States, the Ondo State Commander of Amotekun, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed that about 310 personnel had been deployed to all the border routes in the southwest region to enhance inter-border patrol during the festive season.
Adeleye said the exercise will involve officers patrolling the roads from Osun to Ondo and others towns and villages on 24 hours basis.
He said: “It will guarantee the safety of vehicles plying the roads especially during this yuletide period when we expect a heavy flow of vehicles day and night.
“This is in continuation of our operation ‘clean up’ which has yielded tremendous results in the area of curbing criminal activities in the state.”
It is now being extended to Osun, Ekiti, Ogun so that we can be sure that this new year and Christmas festivities will be hitch-free.
“It is going to be a routine that will go on throughout this period until the new year. After the new year celebration, we will review the security situation, to determine if it should be continued.
“We have deployed 750 men across the 18 Local Government Areas of Ondo state. We have also set aside 210 men for the borders patrol cutting across Ekiti, Ogun through the riverine area and we are also going to cover from Ilesha to Owena-Akure in conjunction with 100 personnel from Osun.”
According to him, men of the Amotekun Corps will work round the clock with other security agencies to ensure that the yuletide period is free of crime.
The Amotekun commander added that timely information by drivers, commuters, and residents will go a long way in helping the agency to achieve its end result.
