Men of Operation Amotekun which takes off in the Southwest region today will not bear arms, the Osun State Governor Adegboyega Oyetola has said.
Amotekun officers have been drafted from local hunters within the precinct of all the six states of the region and Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), which have for the past two decades been at the vanguard of regional struggles in the country.
Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary. Ismail Omipidan, Oyetola explained that the new outfit fashioned after the Civilian JTF in the NorthEast is meant to collaborate with the nation’s security architecture and not operate as a regional force.
He further explained that the new outfit will not be armed, but would work primarily at gathering intelligence reports which would be forwarded to security operatives for necessary action.
He said: “It is not that we want to arm the local militias. “The idea behind it (Operation Amotekun) is not necessarily to arm the locals. We are fashioning it after the Civilian JTF in the Northeast.” “The level of success recorded in the fight against Boko Haram was made possible by the support and cooperation of the Civilian JTF because they are the locals who gather intelligence and know their areas better than anybody.”
The governor’s spokesman added: “Before now, we had prepared ground for the launch. We acquired the vehicles which are fully branded and equipped with communication gadgets.
“A helipad to assist the security agents for air surveillance is about 97 per cent completed. The personnel have also been recruited.”
Meanwhile, the branded maroon red vehicles to be used by the operatives have arrived Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Wednesday in preparation for the inauguration.
The branded vehicles from Ondo and Osun States arrived Agodi, the Oyo State Government Secretariat at about 1pm on Wednesday, while those of Ekiti State were said to be on the way. Those of Lagos and Ogun States were expected arrive Wednesday night, indicating that all the states are geared towards supporting the outfit with the logistics for a successful regional security operation.