In 5 months, we arrested 4,000 for kidnapping, other violent crimes —Ondo Amotekun commander, Adeleye

In this interview by HAKEEM GBADAMOSI, commander of the the south-western security outfit, Amotekun, in Ondo State, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, speaks on the successes of the agency in the first five months of the year and other related issues.

 

How would you describe the security situation in Ondo State in recent time?

We started the year on a very good note in the sense that December periods are usually characterised by various criminal activities but the last December was peaceful until we had the first major challenge in Ose Local Government Area. Generally, in collaboration with other security agencies, we continued what was supposed to be Christmas patrol until March to ensure that Ondo State remained peaceful.

Across the board, we recorded very low criminal activities in the state. That is not to say that there are no cases of crimes like armed robbery and kidnapping here and there. Very recently, we, in collaboration with the military, launched massive attacks on kidnappers in Akoko, Ose and Owo local government areas and the efforts yielded a lot of dividends. On the clean-up operation, the military in Kogi, the 32 Artillery Brigade, partnered with the Amotekun Corps of Ondo State and hunters in all the villages around the border towns and, to a very large extent, we were able to drive the criminals away.

The same thing happened in Ose Local Government Area where once they attacked, they crossed the river and in two minutes, they were in Edo State. The officers and men of the police, civil defence, DSS, the Nigerian Army and Amotekun Corps synergised to confront these criminals and some security agencies in Edo State joined us. These are some of the things that are responsible for the relative peace that we have around the border towns. We want to sensitise the general public that we so much rely on quality and timely information. These criminals don’t live in heaven, they live with us. Once you notice any suspicious movement on your farm land, quickly notify the agency through any of our channels and we  will immediately swing into action. These criminals ususally take advantage of the fact that there is no Amotekun Corps in Kogi and Edo but that has since ceased because the security agencies in the two neighboring states are now collaborating with us.

The last operation we did a couple of days ago, we were able to engage these criminals with the assistance of officers and men of the Nigerian Army and the security agencies in Edo and Kogi states that went with us. I want to tell you that it actually yielded a lot of dividends. These are some of the things that are responsible for the low criminal activities in Ondo State.

Also, we reactivated 12 control points in Ondo town such that within few minutes of information about any criminal activities, we barricade the roads to ensure that such criminals will not escape. This has also greatly discouraged criminal activities within the town. On the average, between January and May, we have made about 4,000 arrests and through the state Director of Public Prosecution, we have been able to send a reasonable number crime suspects to prison while prosecution and diligent investigations are ongoing on very many others. The criminal activities for which the suspects were arrested include kidnapping, arm robbery, illegal possession of firearms, illegal use of weapons, child trafficking and cultism.

We want to thank immensely the officers and men of all security agencies in Ondo State, especially the army, the police, the civil defence and the DSS, for their support in ensuring that Ondo State is peaceful. We want to implore members of the public to continue to support us in terms of quality and timely information as this is part of the tools we need to act.

 

How much would you say crime has reduced in the state?

Crime rate, in Ondo State, going by our statistics, dropped by more than 70 percent. Comparatively, in the last five months of last year and the first five months of this year, there is a sharp decrease in the number of arrested suspects. Last year, on open grazing law alone, we arrested close to 4,000 suspects but this year, we have not arrested 1,000 offenders. Also, comparatively, virtually all forms of criminal activities have reduced in the state. Kidnapping used to be an everyday issue but it is no longer rampant within the metropolis and even at the border towns. And we are working hard, in collaboration with the neighboring states, to ensure that it stops permanently.

 

You are planning to employ more personnel for the Amotekun Corps. Are you lacking in manpower?

The ratio of security officers to criminal activities and criminals in the society is far away. Amotekun came into being barely two years ago, so our routine recruitment for now will be a yearly affair but specifically, these 350 officers to be recruited now are to meet specific security challenges that are coming on, especially now that we want to invite more investors into the state. It means the majority of them will be in the forest areas where industries are to be sited and we want the state to be totally investor-friendly and security is key to such. These new recruits are mainly going to build up the architecture of the state in the area of maintainance of law and order, especially in the surburbs.

 

What is the application process?

To enroll and be part of the recruitment exercise, all you need to do is to log in to www.ondoamotekun.com, cick on register, and you are good to go. Fill the forms, submit online. And if you are qualified, with all the attachments, you will be invited for an interview. And by the first week of June, successful candidates will be due to go to the training camp and join the workforce thereafter.

 

You seem to have relaxed the 6pm-to-6am ban on okada riders in the state.

The government of Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu is a people-friendly government. That is not to undermine the position of government on the enforcement of 6am-to-6pm use of motorcycles. We meet with the leadership of motorcycle riders and we do remind them that the ban is still in force. Anyone that runs foul of the law is still being punished but we have a very good collaboration with the leadership of the motorcycle riders. That is the reason why there is no fracas.

 

Do you see state police as a way out of the security challenges confronting the country?

If we want to be realistic, it appears to be the only solution. You will find out that in Ondo State, we (Amotekun) know the terrain better than any other agency. Even though they are around us, they rely on us for local intelligence and those in the  neighboring states have since seen the result in Ondo State. That is the reason we are collaborating. In summary, I advise them (the neighbouring states) to set up their own local security agencies.

 

So, you see Amotekun as the solution to Boko Haram and all other security threats in the country?

A lot of things are involved when you analyse the political and security situations of the country, but as far as we are concerned, we know that you know your father’s farmland, I know my father’s farmland better than a foreigner. I know where to go and where not to. That is why no matter how good you are, even with the sophistication of the surveillance equipment, you still need intelligence on where you want to go and meet criminals. So, the bottom line is grassroot security, call it state-based security, is the solution to the nation’s security challenges.

The  primary responsibility of democratically elected governors is the protection of lives and property, and that has not been taken away from them. This is what the South-West governors are doing. Amotekun is set up by law and we are operating within the ambit of that law. I don’t think we should bother about nomenclature, what is important is security of lives and property.

Somebody brought from Taraba to protect someone in Ondo, in Igbara-Oke, will not know the terrain, but I know the terrain. So, there are times when we go on joint operation. They don’t have a choice but to rely on us to get through to the indigenes. This is one of the advantages.

 

The 2023 general election is gathering momentum. What role will your organisation play during this important event?

You can be sure of our neutrality concerning political activities. A criminal is a criminal and our zero tolerance for criminal activities remains. In view of the ongoing political activities and the forthcoming elections, we advise the people to be law abiding, irrespective of the political party they belong to, because we will do the work we are supposed to do.

 

What are the challenges before Amotekun?

Our challenges remain inadequate funding, inadequate equipment, inadequate support from the people. But we thank the government for its support. We also want to say that security is everybody’s business; it should not be left for the government alone. We are appealing to the relevant agencies that enjoy the product of what we do to provide vehicles, motorbikes, survellance equipment and all other necessary equipment to make the job easier for us. Don’t forget that Amotekun is both conventional and unconventional security. As far as we are concerned, we are good to go on both lines. Again, the use of sophisticated weapons falls in the Exclusive List of the Federal Government. That can only be approved by relevant federal agencies. So, we don’t even see that as a disadvantage, we use what we have to secure our people.

 

What about the agitations by state security outfits such as Amotekun to carry firearms?

There should be good regulations in place to allow government security agencies to carry the kind of sophisticated weapons that bandits, kidnappers and armed robbers use.