Over the past three and a half years since its establishment, the Western Security Network Agency, known as Amotekun, has apprehended no fewer than 7,000 criminals spanning the 18 local government areas of Ondo State.
In the same vein, the agency has remarkably curtailed clashes between farmers and herders by a staggering 95 percent within the past two years in the state.
Addressing journalists in Akure, the capital of the state, during an interactive session organized by the state Correspondent Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), under the theme “The Platform,” Commander Akogun Adetunji Adeleye revealed that the corps has brought suspected criminals to trial, and many of them have received judgments against them.
Adeleye, who also serves as the Special Adviser (Security Matters) to the state governor, highlighted that the establishment of the Amotekun Corps in the state has significantly contributed to positioning the state as one of the most tranquil regions in the country.
His words: “With the support of sister security agencies, particularly, the DSS has often assisted us in getting the requisite geo-location of kidnap victims and suspects. All these, coupled with our local intellect and unconventional methods, have assisted us in arresting, to date, well over 7,000 suspected criminals, out of whom 1,500 have been charged in court.
“We’ve even secured a judgment of very many of them. At a time when the turnout of criminals was becoming unmanageable for the judiciary, the government of Oluwarotimi Akeredolu graciously approved the building of two courts to assist the judiciary in the prompt dispensation of justice.”
“We are all living witnesses to the fact that today, Ondo State ranks as one of the safest states in this country.
“What we have right now in Ondo State is pockets of violence in border areas, and in response to this, the government has directed, which we’ve implemented some of now, that we put in place, offices and control points in Imoru, Ijagba axis to take care of kidnapping and violence around Ose local government, while Jugbere is to take care of the Akoko North.
“We are proposing three other strategic ones, such that by the end of the year, all our porous border villages and towns will be adequately covered by the activities of the corps.”
The corps commander, however, disclosed that the major challenge confronting the agency is inadequate equipment to match what the miscreants and criminals are confronting them with.
“Amotekun, very adequately, works with other security agencies in the state. The synergy encompasses operational, strategy, and intelligence gathering at the grassroots level and I must tell you that it has been yielding great results.
“Some of the challenges we face, as a result of inadequate equipment have cost the very precious lives of some of our men. And we remain determined, as we pledged to sacrifice”, he stated.
