9th August, 2023
By Segun Giwa
The Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSN) (Amotekun Corps) in Ondo State, on Wednesday, said it had arrested no fewer than 7,000 suspected hoodlums since its establishment in 2020.
Mr Adetunji Adeleye, the Ondo State Commander of the corps, said this in Akure at an interactive programme organised by the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ondo State Council, tagged The Platform.
Adeleye said that 7000 suspects were arrested by personnel of the corps in different parts of the state while 1500 were prosecuted after thorough investigations.
He said that the security outfit secured convictions of some of those prosecuted, adding that infractions by four of its personnel were also sanctioned with dismissal while others were punished as provided by law.
Adeleye, who is also the Special Adviser to the Ondo State Governor on Security Matters, said that the vision of the governors of the states in the South- West region had been realised with the tremendous success recorded in combating crime.
He said that with the corps’ unconventional method of operations and the cooperation of other security agencies, especially the Department of Security Services (DSS), the state was now one of the safest in the country.
Adeleye, also the chairman of the Council of Amotekun Commanders in South West, said the significant number of arrests made by the corps had reduced the farmers/herders clash by over 95 per cent in the last two years.
According to him, Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu approved the building of two additional courts to assist the judiciary in speedy hearings of criminal matters.
“In response to the pockets of violence in border areas presently, the government has directed offices and control points in Imoru, Ijagba axis to take care of kidnapping and violence around Ose Local Government, some of which we’ve implemented.
“The same directive for Jugbere, which is to take care of Akure North, and we are proposing three other strategic ones, such that by the year’s end, all our porous border villages and towns will be adequately covered.
“Within two weeks of our inception, we received over 5,000 petitions of herders/farmers clashes. It was becoming impossible for farmers to go to their farms completely for fear of herders molesting, kidnapping, maiming or killing them.
“The implementation of the anti-open grazing law in the state was also an added advantage for us because it enhances our position in enforcement and the terms of the law were clear,” he said.
The commander further said that the corps had remained non-partisan in politics since its creation.
He said that the command in Ondo state had commenced 24-hour patrol across the 18 local government areas of the state.
Adeleye said that the major challenge confronting the agency was inadequate weapons to match what criminals confront its operatives with.
“Some of the challenges we face as a result of inadequate equipment has been the loss of precious lives of some of our men, but we remain determined,” he said.