- says unseal Amotekun, release detained commander, officers
- Osun CP deploys armed tactical squads to border communities
By John Dike, Osogbo
Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun to unseal the offices of the local security outfit, Amotekun, to effectively combat the rising wave of violence and criminal activities in the state.
He also asked Egbetokun to release all the detained Amotekun officers and men including its. Commander, Dr Isaac Omoyele, who have been locked away for months over some allegations.
Adeleke recalled that the local security outfit, Amotekun had been effectively tackling security breaches in the state until the police clampdown.
The governor fired the petition to the IGP just as the state’s Police Command deployed armed tactical squads to border towns and villages across the state to forestall any possible infiltration by bandits, kidnappers, and other criminal elements.
The deployment followed rising security concerns triggered by recent killings, and criminal activities in neighbouring Kwara State.
Indeed, Adeleke has raised fresh concerns over the rising threat of banditry and kidnapping in parts of his sate, warning of a possible spillover of criminal activities from neighbouring Kwara State.
He called on the Nigeria Police Force to immediately unseal the Osun Amotekun Corps, arguing that the continued shutdown of the regional security outfit has significantly weakened the state’s security architecture.
The governor spoke against the backdrop of a recent kidnapping incident in the Ora Igbomina area, lamenting that the state’s capacity to respond swiftly to emerging security threats has been hampered by the sealing of Amotekun operations and the prolonged detention of its top officers without trial.
According to him, the shutdown of the security outfit has created a dangerous vacuum, particularly in rural and border communities where Amotekun operatives had developed 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,” Adeleke said.
“This gap is already being exploited by bandits and other criminal elements.”
He noted that Amotekun had, over time, demonstrated operational effectiveness in containing security breaches across border areas and hinterlands, warning that further delay in restoring its operations could expose rural dwellers to heightened risks.
The Governor directly called 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, counterproductive, and harmful to public safety.
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 the state.
“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.”
He added that the detained officers should be promptly charged to court if there is a case against them.
“Any further delay will only jeopardise the safety and security of our people,” the governor warned.
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, especially in border and rural communities.
The deployment followed an earlier alarm raised by the Governor over fears that criminals fleeing intensified security operations in Kwara could seek refuge in Osun through its porous border communities.
Speaking with our correspondent on Tuesday via telephone, the state police boss, Mr. Ibrahim Gotan, confirmed that comprehensive security measures had been activated, assuring residents that the command had moved swiftly to strengthen surveillance and policing across all border areas.
According to him, not fewer than 25 armed police officers, drawn from various tactical and special units, have been deployed to each border town and identified flashpoints, including Okuku, Ora, Igbomina axis, and other porous communities linking Osun with neighbouring states.
Despite a few reported incidents of kidnapping and pockets of criminal activities in some parts of the state, the police commissioner assured residents that Osun remains one of the safest states in the South-West and across the country.
“The police, as the agency constitutionally saddled with the responsibility of maintaining law and order, have taken proactive, necessary, and adequate steps to tighten security across the state, particularly in rural communities and border towns,” Gotan said.
“We have deployed a significant number of policemen to border towns and villages across the state. There is absolutely no cause for alarm. My men are fully on ground, keeping a close watch with eagle eyes on the movement of people coming into and going out of Osun State.”
Gotan explained that the tactical deployment forms part of a broader crime prevention and intelligence-led policing strategy aimed at deterring criminal infiltration, improving response time, and ensuring early detection of threats.
“We are on top of the security situation in Osun State. Tactical squads have been deployed for effective crime prevention, detection, and control. Some of these crimes are aided by informants, which is why everyone must be security-conscious,” he noted.
The police commissioner emphasized that security remains a collective responsibility, urging residents to cooperate with law enforcement agencies rather than rely solely on security operatives.
“Effective crime detection, prevention, and control is the responsibility of everyone, not just the security agencies. People should go about their lawful and legitimate businesses without fear of molestation or intimidation,”
He further appealed to members of the public to provide useful, timely, and credible information that could assist the police in preventing crimes and apprehending perpetrators.
“Any information, no matter how small, can help us solve crime-related issues and keep the state safe,” Gotan added.
Residents of several border communities welcomed the enhanced security presence, expressing hope that the deployment would prevent a spillover of criminal activities from neighbouring states and guarantee sustained peace and stability across Osun.
