We have received over 500 petitions from Ondo farmers, residents ― Amotekun commander

The Commander of the Ondo State Security Network, also known as Amotekun, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, on Tuesday, said no fewer than 500 petitions have been received by the security outfit from the residents of the state in less than a year of formation.

Adeleye who disclosed this in Akure, Ondo State capital, while delivering the Ondo NUJ 2020 Press Week lecture, titled “Contemporary Security Challenges: Is Amotekun Corps the Way Forward” said most of the petitions are from farmers whose farmlands had been destroyed by herders and their cows.

Adeleye who stressed the need to quickly attend to the destruction of farmlands by herders and their cattle said the persistent herdsmen attack on farmers would in no small measure pose greater threats to food security in the state and the country at large.

The Amotekun Commander identified population explosion, a global health crisis with implications on economy and unemployment as some of the factors that contributed to the contemporary security challenges like kidnappings, armed robbery and killings across the country.

Adeleye however, said for the government to tackle insecurity, a key starting point should be to understand the causes of insecurity as well as to investigate their sources of social disorder and instability and provide a holistic view to the suggestion or recommendations of solutions.

He said for improving security situation in the country, “there must be the formation of the Security Trust Fund to give all residents opportunity to community ownership of public property.

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“Effective funding of the administrations of Criminal Justice Law community-based patrol and surveillance and operation know your neighbour with credible and integrated identification system and joint border patrols amongst neighbouring states /countries.

“There should be periodic recruitment and regular training and retraining of personnel, improved interagency collaboration, bottom-up approach to security and defence policy formulation, regular security needs assessment,
systematic and practical plan to address youth unemployment.”

He commended Governor Rotimi Akeredolu for his support for Amotekun corps in the state, saying “despite scarce resources, the governor has been very supportive and responsive in giving security issues a top priority.

“His role in driving the formation and takeoff of Amotekun Corps in the southwest geopolitical zone is worthy of emulation despite the initial standoff and bottlenecks.”

He also commended other security agencies in the state to combat crime saying Amotekun has been collaborating with other security network agencies in gathering information about crime, crime investigation, arrest and prosecution of persons suspected or involved in kidnapping.

Adeleye assured that with sophisticated communication equipment, non-prohibitive firearms, and routine patrols, Amotekun corps is determined to make the state unsafe for men of the underworld.

He said even with fallout of EndSARS violence, Amotekun corps with the support of other security agencies have brought appreciable peace and stability to Ondo state using different operations.

“The challenge of insecurity is a task we must all rise up to address. No one has all the solutions hence the need for collaboration with individuals and institutional actors both local, national and foreign,” he said.

While declaring open the Press Week, Governor Akeredolu who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Chief Olugbenga Ale, reiterated that Amotekun is to complement efforts of existing security agencies, assuring that the state government would continue to give support to the security outfit to make Ondo State a safe haven.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE