Oyo Govt Declares Amotekun Operational, Begins With 1,500 Officers

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde on Wednesday said the state’s Security Network Agency, Amotekun Corps, is now fully operational.

Makinde said this at the passing-out ceremony of 1,500 pioneer Amotekun Corps at Emmanuel Alayande College of Education Sports Complex, Main Campus, Oyo, said that security had always been an issue, the reason security was made one of the pillars of his administration.

“When the story of the Western Nigeria Security Network code-named Amotekun is told, it will be on record that it was officially launched on January 9, 2020. However, the Amotekun journey began earlier. In July 2019, the six states of the South-West, namely Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo States, agreed to set up this outfit.

“Amotekun is indeed a first of its kind security agency because it is a regional security outfit initiated by one of Nigeria’s six geo-political zones.

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“History will also state that the headquarters is here in Oyo State.

“Since its inauguration, we have been taking steps to ensure that the security outfit kicks off operations. In March 2020, the Oyo State House of Assembly passed the Oyo State Security Network Agency Bill 2020, which I signed into law a few days later.”

Meanwhile, Chairman of Oyo State Amotekun Corps, Brig.-Gen. Kunle Togun (rtd), lauded the efforts of the governor to set up the state security outfit with the view to tackling insecurity plaguing the South-West region.