- prosecutes 500 suspects in Ondo
Amotekun Commanders in the South-West have declared support for the establishment of State Police as being formulated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly.
They described it as the most practical and effective solution to Nigeria’s growing security challenges.
Ondo State Commander of the Amotekun Corps, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, who spoke on behalf of his counterparts on the region, said that decentralising the nation’s security architecture would significantly improve intelligence gathering, crime detection, and community-based policing.
He said the South-West security outfit has consistently maintained over the years that state policing remains the best option for addressing insecurity across the country.
Adeleye noted that the success recorded by Amotekun in identifying, arresting, and prosecuting criminals within the region has further strengthened the argument for a state-controlled policing structure.
He said, “In the last couple of years, the position of the Council of Amotekun Commanders in the South-West has always been that state policing remains the only viable solution to the present insecurity in the country.
“Through the Amotekun initiative, it has become easier to identify criminals because security personnel are familiar with the terrain, the people, and the communities where they operate.”
He disclosed that the Ondo State Amotekun Corps alone had arrested and prosecuted more than 500 suspected criminals this year, noting that many of them have been prosecuted.
“In many of those cases, the courts have vindicated our actions, and several of the suspects are currently serving various jail terms,” he said
The commander described the proposed state police structure as a major step toward strengthening internal security and improving response to emerging threats across the federation.
He also expressed the readiness of the South-West security network to align with any framework that may be adopted by the Federal Government for the implementation of state policing.
His words, “I think it is a giant stride in the right direction. State policing will help decentralise the security architecture of the country and bring security closer to the people.
“As far as the South-West is concerned, we are ready to adjust and conform with whatever framework is put in place to ensure the smooth take-off of state policing.”
Meanwhile, the Ondo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun Corps, has arrested husband and wife in connection with the burglary of the Okitipupa residence of a former Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Jumoke Akindele.
The operatives of the corps recovered seven stolen mobile phones and other valuables carted away during the robbery operation and, as well, foiled an attempt to smuggle the items to Lagos for sale.
The suspects, identified as his and and wife, were apprehended following an intelligence-driven operation that tracked the stolen items to a transporter who was preparing to convey them out of Okitipupa to Lagos.
The Commander of the Amotekun Corps in the state, Chief Adetunji Adeleye disclosed this while parading the suspects before journalists, saying the arrest was the outcome of an intensive investigation carried out by operatives of the agency.
According to the commander, all the phones carted away from the residence during the burglary were recovered and displayed before journalists alongside the suspects.
He explained that investigations also led to the arrest of a transporter allegedly engaged to move the stolen phones from Okitipupa to Lagos for disposal.
Adeleye said, “Well, thank you very much. One of the burglary and robbery incidents we investigated was at the residence of the Rt. Hon. Jumoke Akindele. I am happy to inform you that all the phones stolen during the operation have been recovered and are here before you.
“The two principal suspects are also here with us — … 28, and his wife, …, 22. We equally arrested the transporter who was supposed to convey the stolen phones from Okitipupa to Lagos.
“We have widened the scope of our investigation because some of the persons connected with this case may also be involved in other criminal activities within the local government area.
“Including the transporter who was supposed to take the phones out of Okitipupa to Lagos. We equally have the accomplice, but because we expanded our scope of investigation to other issues, that is why others, not only directly related, have been doing that on our watch list in that local government.
“We put everything in place to arrest them, but they will go to court immediately, and the phones will be released on bond to the Right Honourable.”
The commander added that investigations had been expanded beyond the immediate case, revealing possible links to other criminal activities in the area.
The Amotekun Commander also paraded some kidnappers arrested in Owo and Akure North local government areas in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, the former Speaker in a press statement, confirmed that the burglary occurred in the middle of the night on Sunday, when expensive mobile handsets and other personal effects were stolen.
Akindele, who disclosed that several windows were damaged during the operation, renewed the call for the establishment of state police in Nigeria, pointing to the success of the Amotekun Corps in Ondo State as the strongest argument for such a constitutional amendment.
She said, “I have often been regaled with the heroic efforts of the Amotekun Corps to battle and curtail all forms of crimes and insecurity in Ondo State, and to state that I am awed by their dexterity, their determination, their bravery and commitment to duty is an understatement.
“I salute the Corps Commandant, Mr Adetunji, whose effective and productive style of leadership is evident. Investigations are ongoing with most of the perpetrators in Amotekun custody. I would not want to dwell on how they were caught and how the investigations will proceed, but I sincerely commend these valiant officers and men to the Ondo State Government for recognition, awards, and encomiums.”
