Gbenro Adesina
Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon Adebo Ogundoyin, on Wednesday August 26, 2020 called on the Nigeria Police to give full support to the Amotekun Corps in the South West Region of the country.
Ogundoyin made this call when the Oyo State Police Commissioner, Joe Nwachukwu Enwonwu, paid a him a visit in his office at the Parliament Building, Secretariat Ibadan.
Ogundoyin noted that the only way Amotekun could be allowed to compliment the activities of the security agents in the task of reducing crimes in every nook and cranny of the state was when the police extends full support to the corps when it becomes operational in the state
He said the success of the Corps in enhancing the security of the state is dependent on the full support and guidance given to them by the officers and men of the Nigerian Police adding that the Amotekun Corps was not established to take over the functions of the Nigerian Police rather to help the Police to gather information, engage in surveillance as well as help them to arrest suspects.
His words, “We understand the constraints of the Nigerian Police. We know they are understaffed and the job before them is overwhelming. But the Amotekun Corps will be deployed to all zones in the state, where they will participate in the job of securing their communities and assisting the Police. They will arrest suspected criminals and hand them over to the Police”.
He further urged the Police to do more in the area of intelligent gathering as well as securing the border communities.
He raised the issue of incessant Fulani/farmers clashes in some parts of the state, especially, the recent crisis in Oriire Local Government in Ogbomoso and demanded that perpetrators of such act must be brought to book.
Responding Enwonwu assured the Speaker of his readiness to work with Amotekun Corps in line with the directive of the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu.
He explained that the Police has a good working relationship with the various vigilante groups and local hunters, adding that the Amotekun Corps who would not bear arms would not be an exception.
Citing the bank robbery incident in Okeho some weeks ago, Enwonwu said if not for the locals, the robbers would not have been apprehended.
On the Farmers/herders clashes, the police chef, who promised that his men would take proactive steps to arrest those causing the crises, blamed the spate of kidnappings, armed robbery and other heinous crimes perpetrated in some parts of the state on some Nomads, who use their cattle as cover-ups.
He said drastic steps would be taken to address the Oriire Local Government crisis and the likes.
