Category: Featured

Ekiti State Government, through the Board of State Security Network (Amotekun Corps), is set to employ personnel to commence operation in the State.

According to a time table released by the Board, the recruitment exercise is set to hold across the 16 Local Government Areas of the State, starting on Monday August 31, 2020 at 8am prompt.

The recruitment is sequel to the passage of the State Security Network Bill by the state House of Assembly, and signed into law by Governor Kayode Fayemi in March 2020.

The establishment of Amotekun Corps is aimed at curbing incessant killings, kidnappings, banditry, Farm invasion and other heinous crimes in the state.

Candidates are advised to visit the Amotekun website for further details.

The Nigerian Army has responded to the statement recently made by the leader of Are-Ona-Kankanfo-In-Council, Are Gani Adams that some ISIS terrorists have infiltrated Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State.

The Defence Headquarters through its Spokesman, Major Gen. john Eneche has allayed the fear the statement credited to Are Onakankanfo might have caused to the people of Oke-Ogun and Oyo State at large by assuring the entire people of Southwest of adequate security in view of the alleged claim that suspected ISIS operatives and terrorists have infiltrated SouthWest States.

The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. John Enenche, said this while addressing newsmen at a media briefing on military operations across the country on Thursday in Abuja.

Enenche, who said people should not be panic about the alarm as there was nothing to fear about, added that the security agencies will not leave no stone unturned until the evolving security challenge is addressed and tackled headlong.

The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, was said to have disclosed, in a communique issued after an extraordinary meeting of the Aare Ona Kakanfo-in-Council that suspected ISIS operatives and terrorists were now in Oke-Ogun, Oyo State.

“More worrisome, the intelligence report also reveals that suspected ISIS operatives have positioned themselves in Niger State via Ibaruba land and are now within the Oke-Ogun corridor of Oyo State.

“Indeed, the Intel also revealed that about 500 power bikes and assorted ammunition belonging to the terrorists have been sighted along the abandoned Lusada route moving towards Sokoto, from Igbo-Ora in Oyo State,”he claimed.

Enenche, however said that the claim was nothing, but just an alarm and that Nigeria security agencies were equal to the task, and would not handle it with a kid’s glove.

The coordinator, who said that the security agencies were on top of the situation, also reiterated the determination of the military to put all measures in place to be ahead of the challenge.

Oyo State House of Assembly has approved the list of nominees as the members of Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission OYSIEC.

It will be recalled that on Tuesday, 25th of August, 2020 Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde forwarded the list of nominees as the members of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission OYSIEC to Oyo State House of Assembly for approval.

The letter seeking for the approval of the nominees was read last Tuesday, 25th of August, 2020 at the Plenary by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Debo Ogundoyin.

Today, at the Plenary, the nominees were called to present their CVs and other related information that could be traced to their backgrounds for proper scrutiny and the honourable members having perused the information supplied by the nominees thereafter passed resolution to approve the list.

The Commission has Barr Isiaka Olagunju as Chairman, while Comrade Adeniyi Afeez Babatunde, Alhaja Ganiyat Saka, Mr Olanrewaju Emmanuel, Chief Kunle Agboola, Mr Remi Ayoade, Mr Sunday Falana and Mr Adeojo Elias as members.

The Speaker of the House while speaking, commends the State governor for taking a bold step in constituting OYSIEC members that will conduct council election in order to bring the dividends of democracy to the people at the grassroots.

Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has rejected plans by the Nigerian Government to use the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to determine and control the structure of Amotekun and other security outfits in states.

National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, disclosed this while speaking with PRESS on Wednesday in reaction to a statement credited to Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.

Odumakin said the plan by the IGP to determine and control the structure of Amotekun and other security outfits in Southwest States was an attempt aimed at muzzling and whittling down the operations of such outfits using command and control gimmick.

Odumakin said it was an indication that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government was not interested in the security of lives and properties of Nigerian citizens.

He said that the South-West region would resist any attempt to truncate or thwart the operations of Amotekun, which is backed by law passed by the six state parliaments.

He said, “They are not interested in the security of Nigerians. What they are interested in is command and control and to be in charge. The moment you submit Amotekun to the control of IGP, that is the end of it. We will reject such a move.”

Commander of Ondo State Security Network Agencies, Adetunji Adeleye, said the Amotekun Corps cannot be subsumed under the guise of community policing by the Nigerian Government.

Adeleye said Amotekun was a grassroots security outfit that already had its own legal backing.

He said the security outfit was established to compliment efforts of existing security agencies in the South-West region to curtail crime.

Adeleye said, “The Amotekun Corps is a baby of the law set up for policing and protection of its own people.

“You cannot subject the structure of the Amotekun Corps to the directive from the Inspector-General of Police or any other legal entity.

“All Amotekun does is to complement all existing security agencies in the country including the police.

“The constitution guarantees the state to also have its own security outfit so far they are backed up by laws guiding their operations. There is a law put in place which has even been passed by state Houses of Assemblies guiding the operations of the Amotekun Corps.”

While noting that the state was not against the government to create community policing, Adeleye said they have already fashioned out a way to protect people of the region.

On his own part, spokesperson for the United Niger Delta Energy Development Security Strategy, Tony Uranta, said Garba Shehu had a right to his views but cannot decide for people on how they would secure their lives and property in the face of the challenges of insecurity confronting the nation.

He called on the governors in South-South and South-East to team up in solidarity and support the South-West governors to ensure that Amotekun was not hijacked by the Federal Nigerian Government.

The Speaker , Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon Adebo Ogundoyin says the success of Amotekun Corps in enhancing the security of the state is dependent on the full support and guidance given to them by officers and men of the Nigerian Police.

The Speaker therefore asked the Oyo State Commissioner of Police to extend full support to Amotekun Corps when fully operational in the state to enable them complement the activities of security agents in the task of reducing crimes in every nook and cranny of the state.

The Speaker reiterated this when the Oyo State Police Commissioner, Joe Nwachukwu Enwonwu paid a familiarization visit to him in his office at the Parliament Building, Secretariat Ibadan.

Hon Ogundoyin told the Police Commissioner that Amotekun Corps was not established to take over the functions of the Nigerian Police but rather they are employed to help the Police to gather information, engage in surveillance as well as help them to arrest suspects .

The Speaker said ” We understand the constraints of the Nigerian Police. We know they are understaffed and the job before them is overwhelming. But the Amotekun Corps will be deployed to all zones in the state where they will participate in the job of securing their communities and assisting the Police. They will arrest suspected criminals and hand them over to the Police “

While assuring the Oyo State Police Command of the readiness of the State Legislature to work with the various Security Agencies since security is the joint responsibility of all, Hon Ogundoyin urged the Police to do more in the area of intelligent gathering and securing of the border communities in Oyo State.

The Speaker used the medium to bring the issue of incessant Fulani/farmers clashes in some parts of Oyo State especially the recent the crisis in Oriire Local Government in Ogbomoso to the attention of Police Commissioner, and urged the Police to ensure perpetrators of these clashes are brought to book.

In his remarks, CP Joe Nwachukwu Enwonwu assured the Speaker that the Oyo State Police Command is ready to work with Amotekun Corps inline with the directive of the Inspector General of Police, IGP

The CP explained that the Police has a good working relationship with the various vigilante groups and local hunters adding that Amotekun Corps who will not bear arms wont be an exception

Citing the bank robbery incident in Okeho some weeks ago, CP Joe Nwachukwu Enwonwu said if not for the locals the robbers would not have been apprehended.

On the Farmers/herders clashes, the State Police boss who promised that his men will take proactive steps to arrest those causing the crises, blamed the spate of kidnappings, armed robbery and other heinous crimes perpetrated in some parts of the state on some Nomads who use their cattle as cover-ups.

He said drastic steps will be taken to address the Oriire Local Government crisis and others like it across the state.

The governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu has reacted to a statement credited to the Spokesman of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Garba Sheu where he was quoted to have said that FG would not allow Amotekun to operate in isolation from the existing internal security guidelines and structures of the Federal Government as part of powers vested on the Inspector General of Police.

Akeredolu while speaking to the PRESS today, said FG cannot dictate to the people of South West on how they would maintain their internal security affairs particularly when conventional policing has failed. Akeredolu in his statement further expressed shock on a statement made by Garba Sheu while answering questions on Channels TV Daily Sunrise Programme, saying such statement does not represent the position of South West and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“We will not collapse Amotekun for community policing. It will stand on its own, we are not people that can be intimidated that IG will give orders to. Amotekun is different and community policing is different, said Akeredolu.”