Amotekun corps not permitted to carry arms Ex-IGP, Ehindero
On
James Ogunnaike
A retired Inspector General of Police, Sunday Ehindero has appealed to operatives of the South West Security Network (Amotekun corps) to strictly adhere to the country’s constitution that forbids them from bearing fire-arm in the course of their operation.
Ehindero said the regional Corps was to be an information and intelligence gathering outfit rather than an arm carrying one, stressing that the law that established the outfit doesn’t make provision for it to be arm-bearing.
The former IGP advised that the Corps should key into the community policing and work in synergy with the Special Constables and the Police Force in order to combat insecurity at the grassroots.
Share
The governors of the South-West states have been accused of abdicating their primary constitutional duty of protecting the lives and properties of their citizens, judging by the escalating security crisis in the region.
A pan-Yoruba group, the Majeobaje Movement, leveled the allegation in a ‘save our souls’ letter to the Chairman of the South-West Governor’s Forum and Governor of Ondo State, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, which was copied to the five other governors.
In the letter, the movement described itself an alliance of professionals, entrepreneurs, policy specialists and academics concerned about and working for improved governance in Nigeria.
The group decried the spate of killings, kidnappings, rape and sundry criminal activities ravaging the region under the governors’ watch, with the attendant loss of lives of citizens and the destruction of their livelihoods.
Advertisement
Adetunji Adeleye, commander of corps, disclosed this while addressing journalists in Akure, the state capital, on Wednesday.
Adeleye said the operatives were attacked while trying to settle a rift between herdsmen and some farmers in the community.
“Some farmers from Osi Community ran to the office complaining that their farms had been destroyed by herds. We sent our men there to assess the situation,” he said.
Advertisement
“They found out that the herds were actually on the farm and we invited the herdsmen. But unfortunately, on getting there, they attacked our men with knives and other dangerous weapons. But we were able to arrest one of them named Abdulkadir Mohammed.”