Oyetola: Amotekun Will Work With Police, Others

Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, has said the Osun Security Network Agency codenamed Amotekun will collaborate with the police and other conventional security agencies to ensure adequate provision of security in the state.

The governor spoke a day after his counterpart in Oyo, Seyi Makinde, said Amotekun in his state would not be subject to the authority of the Inspector General of Police.

Although Governor Oyetola did not make.any reference to the position of the Presidency that Amotekun would be under the Inspector General of Police, he stressed that Amotekun was a product of the law.

Oyetola said this on Thursday evening at the inauguration of the Osun Security Network Agency and Amotekun Corps Board and the Independent Complaints Board.

He said the security agency was established in the South-West states as a result of insecurity while saying the outfit would ensure improved security situation in the state.

Oyetola said Amotekun would close the security gap created by the overstretching of the police and other security agencies. He said the collaborative efhorts would work better to improve security situation and would have positive impact on the economy of the state.

The governor said, “The Osun Security Network Agency and Amotekun Corps Board, and the Amotekun Independent Complaints Board are products of the Osun Security Network Agency and Amotekun Corps (Establishment ) Law 2020 created to ensure fair and effective administration, implementation and operation of the security outfit.

“They will collaborate with the conventional security agencies to ensure fair and absolute security of the state by complementing the conventional security agencies to stop the incidents of rape, illegal mining, possible banditry, kidnapping and other crimes which had crept into the state as a result of the deplorable security situation in the country.

“In line with our resolve, we have adopted proactive and creative measures to deliver security to our people by collaborating with the military, the police and other security agencies when the raging security situation in the nation was having adverse effect on our security profile.

“Our ultimate solution to the situation was the collaboration with our sister states in the South-West who share the same territories and destiny with us to found the Amotekun Corps to police and secure the region and deliver peace to our people.

“It is our hope that the Osun Security Network Agency and the Amotekun Corps will offer improved security of lives and property and close the gaps created by the obvious overstretching of the conventional security agencies, while the Amotekun Independent Complaints Board will act as checks and balances for the activities of the Corps personnel.”

He urged the board to recruit honest, loyal and committee people and ensured that they were well trained to be able to win the support and cooperation of the people.

“I must at this juncture implore you to lead a trained, disciplined, loyal and committed corps that has a human face to collaborate with other security agencies within and outside the State to secure our people.

“Let me remind us all as Osun people that Amotekun is our baby and that making it work is a collective responsibility. I therefore urge you all to collaborate with the bodies that we are inaugurating today by providing useful information and offering other necessary support in our collective interest,” Oyetola said.

The 15-member Osun Security Network and Amotekun Corps Board is chaired by General Ademola Aderibigbe (retd.) while Justice Moshood Adeigbe (retd.) would serve as the Chairman of the three-man Amotekun Independent Complaints Board respectively.