Gani Adams, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, has alleged that recruitment into Amotekun has become heavily politicised.
In January 2020, south-west governors launched the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun, in response to escalating insecurity and persistent protests over alleged incursions by suspected bandits in parts of the region.
The formation of Amotekun came barely six months after Funke Olakunrin, daughter of Reuben Fasoranti, leader of the Afenifere, was shot dead in Ore, Ondo state — an incident that sparked nationwide outrage.
Speaking in an interview with Vanguard, Adams said that over six years after its establishment, heavy politicisation has hindered Amotekun from achieving its founding mandates.
“The recruitment into Amotekun that we agitated for has been highly politicised. It was only the first recruitment that was made, especially in Oyo state, that was less politicised, but others have been highly politicised,” he said.
“I am becoming more disappointed in the way Amotekun is being run now. It is not like the way we thought it would be. Some state actors have seen it as a place to give employment to their political followers.
“The issue of security must not be like that. If you want to achieve any goal from security, you have to look at the background of the people you recruit to that security outfit because it is a case of life and death.
“There is native intelligence that must be brought into it, which is very important. Amotekun could have achieved more than what they are achieving now.”
‘I AM HIGHLY WORRIED’
Adams decried the rising wave of insecurity in the south-west, adding that about seven Yoruba monarchs have been killed by terrorists in recent months.
He said the security situation in the south-west is worsening, partly due to the lack of an effective government response.
“I am highly worried, I won’t deceive you. The terrorists have so far killed about seven monarchs in the south-west and some Yoruba-speaking areas in Kwara state,” he said.
“We are not even talking about the ‘baales’, the community heads in Yorubaland. In November last year, I raised an alarm, yet no governor called me to ask what we could do about it. No governor, no security agency, or security officer called me.”
Adams added that the wave of attacks has spread across key areas, including Ibadan, which is very close to Lagos, as well as other parts of Oyo and Ogun states.
“In Lagos state, we know that they have infiltrated seriously. Some kidnappings have been happening in the riverine areas of Epe and Ibeju Lekki, but it is not only northerners who are involved. Some people from the south-east and even some Yoruba are conniving with them. It is an agenda. Some things that happen in Lagos are like a business,” he said.
He advised that the recruitment and management of Amotekun should be depoliticised and strengthened with intelligence-led operations to effectively protect communities.
“As one of the stakeholders, I have written to the south-west governors for collaboration, called the attention of the media in various fora, and even held a press conference to emphasise that all hands must be on deck,” he said.
“Security is not the duty of the government alone; it requires collective action so that the south-west, and Nigeria in general, will be secure.”
Adams also welcomed President Bola Tinubu’s recent statement that the issue of state police would be prioritised.
