By Johnn cc, Osogbo
Governor Ademola Adeleke has raised the alarm over the rising threat of banditry and kidnapping in Osun State.
He warned against a possible spillover of criminal activities from neighbouring Kwara State and urging the Nigeria Police Force to immediately unseal the Osun Amotekun Corps to contain the menace.
The governor spoke against the backdrop of a fresh kidnapping incident in the Ora Igbomina area, lamenting that the state’s security response has been seriously weakened by the continued sealing of Amotekun operations and the prolonged detention of its top officers without trial.
According to Adeleke, the shutdown of the regional security outfit has created a dangerous security vacuum, particularly in rural and border communities where Amotekun operatives had built strong local intelligence networks and rapid-response capabilities.
“The Osun State Government is currently handicapped in responding effectively to emerging security threats because Amotekun remains sealed,” the governor said. “This gap is already being exploited by bandits and other criminal elements.”
He noted that Amotekun had, over time, developed operational expertise in containing security breaches across border areas and hinterlands, warning that further delay in restoring its operations could expose rural dwellers to heightened risks.
Governor Adeleke called directly on the Inspector General of Police to either charge the detained Amotekun officers to court or release them, describing their continued incarceration without trial as unjust and counterproductive.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, the governor said he was compelled to take the matter to the public domain following another reported kidnapping in Ora Igbomina.
“Closing down Amotekun exposes Osun people to serious risks,” Adeleke declared. “I call on the Inspector General of Police to unseal Amotekun and allow its operatives to secure our people at the grassroots.
“Those officers in detention should be charged to court after several months of incarceration. Any further delay will only jeopardise the safety and security of our people.”
The governor made the remarks after a closed-door security meeting with top state officials, reiterating his administration’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property across Osun State.
