By Babatunde Ayedoju
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One of the most cherished privileges that people can enjoy in any society is the security of lives and property of the citizens. Since the inception of the present administration in Ondo State, the government of the Sunshine State has made giant strides in the area of securing lives and property of citizens.
For over a decade, Nigerians have suffered in the hands of criminal elements who make life difficult for citizens. Initially, it was Boko-Haram, an armed group that unleashed mayhem on unarmed citizens in various states of the federation. Later, other groups emerged with various names and tags, such as Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP), bandits, kidnappers, abductors and herdsmen.
In recent times, law abiding residents of the Sunshine State have not been spared by these men of the underworld. This can be seen in reported cases of murder and kidnapping said to have been carried out by these non-state actors.
In the face of these security challenges, governors from the south-west geo-political zone of Nigeria initiated the Western Nigerian Security Network, code named Amotekun on January 9, 2020. Amotekun is the Yoruba name for an animal known in English as Leopard. It is a strong animal that is capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with any villain that crosses its path.
While inaugurating the community policing outfit in Ondo State in August 2020, the Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, expressed his administration’s determination to rid the state of all forms of crime and criminal elements and provide a safer environment, conducive enough to encourage foreign investors.
Governor Akeredolu, who is also the Chairman of South-West Governors’ Forum, noted, “In an era where the state of nature, as theorised by Thomas Hobbes, is fast gaining precedence in human interactions and statecraft, the skillful management of state affairs must continue to adapt and evolve ingenious and sometimes unorthodox solutions to ensure the maintenance of law and order. Otherwise, the inhumanity of man to man will become the order of the day.”
At the beginning of its operation, the Ondo State Commandant of the security outfit, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, had outlined the objectives of the organization as systematic gathering of information, documentation, evaluation and analysis of data and information that would be converted into actionable intelligence for operational and strategic goals. Other objectives unveiled included protection of lives and property within the state, and safety of travellers on highways and waterways.
Within the first year of its establishment, the security outfit recorded many success stories, such as settling disputes between farmers and herdsmen, tackling cases of cattle rustling and arresting cows that trespassed into people’s farms. Prominent among achievements of the corps was the arrest and deportation of 42 strangers whose mission could not be clearly defined. The strangers were arrested in Okitipupa. That was followed by the arrest and deportation of another 137 from Elegbeka Forest reserve, along Ifon Benin Express way.
As part of efforts of the Ondo State government to strengthen the state’s security network, and the celebration of 100 days of Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu in office for a second tenure, the 2nd batch of the Amotekun recruits were commissioned in Akure. The new recruits comprised 503 men, in order to stem the tide of insecurity in Ondo State.
Third quarter of last year, the Akeredolu government signed into law the Anti-Grazing Bill passed by the State House of Assembly. That was shortly after the governor suspended all activities in Ondo State forest reserves. The move was in line with the resolution of the Southern Governors’ Forum at a meeting in Lagos where September 1 was set as the deadline for governors in Southern Nigeria to sign the Anti-Open Grazing Bill into law.
Explaining the import of the new law across the 18 local councils of the state, the governor at that time stated, “For emphasis, no particular group of persons is the target. While it is the hope of government that all residents would take an ample advantage of this law to enhance our socio-economic well being in Ondo, compliance of same shall be given the utmost attention.”
In furtherance of Ondo State Government’s giant strides in promoting security, at least 37 suspected criminals were arrested across the 18 local government areas of Ondo State. The arrest was made, in the first week of May, during a 24-hour joint patrol led by the Nigerian Army and operatives of the Amotekun Corps. The patrol was part of the state government’s attempts to ensure a crime-free Eid-El-Fitri celebration in the state.
Few days later, Mr Governor directed the recruitment of additional 350 personnel into the State Amotekun Corps to further strengthen and boost its operations.
Governor Akeredolu who averred that his administration was blazing the trail in the area of security and other critical sectors, added that the jobs of the new personnel would, among other things, protect and secure farmers and their farmlands across the state to ensure food sufficiency.
He also explained that Amotekun stations would be built in the farms to ensure that the farmers were protected, insisting that the abundant natural resources in the state must translate to economic prosperity.
The same month of May, the Commander of Ondo State Amotekun, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, the security network had arrested 4,000 criminal suspects within five months, noting that crime rate in the state had dropped by more than 70 per cent.
He said the suspects were arrested for offences ranging from kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, rape, theft, illegal possession of firearms, child trafficking, cultism, to human relations violations, among others.
The security expert added that the successes were recorded in collaboration with the men and officers of Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Army (NA).
The month of June dawned in Ondo State with breaking news of armed men who invaded St Francis’ Catholic Church, Owo which claimed the lives of at least 40 people, leaving many others wounded.
Towards the end of the month, the Amotekun corps paraded 71 suspected kidnappers, armed robbers, Okada snatchers and human traffickers allegedly perpetrating dasterdly acts across the state.
Parading the suspects, the State Commander of the Corps, who did not give the specific number and other details of the suspects arrested in connection with the Owo massacre, said the corps was still working with other sister security agencies to track all the perpetrators of the devilish act.
In addition to that, the governor issued an Executive Order directing the compulsory installation and use of the Close Circuit Television (CCTV) device in all public and private institutions in the state.
According to a statement signed by his spokesperson, Richard Olatunde, Akeredolu said that he drew his power to issue the order from Section 176 (2) of the amended 1999 Nigerian Constitution.
He said that the decision became imperative following the increased spate of insecurity in the country, and the need to ensure the security of lives and properties in all public and private institutions and centres throughout the state.
The governor directed security agencies, including the Nigeria Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ondo State Security Network Agency popularly known as Amotekun, and the Department of State Security Services (DSS) to enforce the directive across the state.
Akeredolu warned that violators of the Executive Order shall be “prosecuted in accordance with Section 203 of the Criminal Code (Cap. 37) Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria.”
About a week ago, the Ondo State Governor, signed into law the first amendment of the Ondo State Security Network Agency Law. While signing the Bill, Mr Governor noted that the new amendment had become imperative in light of the heightened insecurity across the state. He assured that the amended law would enhance the security architecture of the state and help the Amotekun Corps to perform better.
This signing of the amendment came two weeks after the State House of Assembly has passed the bill that amended the Ondo State Security Network Agency and Amotekun Corps Law 2022. The lawmakers also passed a bill for a law that would establish the Ondo State Security Trust Fund.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Security, Mr. Ololade Gbegudu, said that Sections 4, 5, 6, 14, 16 and 18 of the principal law were amended.
Gbegudu said that the bills would provide funds for special equipment, training and retraining of Amotekun personnel as well as foster an effective and enduring public private partnership for crime prevention, and eradication in Ondo State. He added that it would provide for joint border patrols with neighbouring states under the leadership of the Amotekun State Commanders.
The giant strides of the Ondo State government in providing security are not limited to the Sunshine State, as the Aketi-led government has been vociferous in the call for the creation of state police to help combat insecurity nationwide.
Speaking at the maiden edition of 2022 Law Week of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ondo Branch, held in Ondo town, Ondo State, Governor Akeredolu reiterated that each state of the federation having a police force of its own would go a long way in solving the lingering security challenge facing the country.
The event which was themed, ‘Insecurity and corruption as a challenge to Nigeria’s democracy’, took place early this month.
Represented by the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Charles Titiloye, the governor stated, “The overwhelming national insecurity cum attacks and sophisticated weapons used by terrorists and criminal elements in the country requires a prompt, efficient, decentralised and localised policing response.”
