Local hunters and Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) members who will serve in the Joint Southwest security outfit Operation Amotekun will not bear arms, it was learnt on Wednesday.
Osun State Governor Adegboyega Oyetola stated this in Osogbo.
Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary Mr. Ismail Omipidan, Oyetola explained: “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.”
Vehicles to be used by the operatives started arriving Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Wednesday in preparation for Thursday’s inauguration.
Those of Lagos and Ogun states were expected last night or this morning before the commencement of the ceremony.
The Director-General, Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, Mr Seye Oyeleye, who was in high spirit, said: “We are definitely going ahead with the ceremony tomorrow(today).”
The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Chief Gani Adams expressed optimism that Operation Amotekun would help put to an end, criminality in the region.
Adams, a co-founder of OPC told reporters in Lagos yesterday that the initiative was long overdue.
He said: “Don’t forget I was one of those that pushed them (governments in the region) to do this security summit before they now decided to initiate Amotekun.
”I can tell you authoritatively that Yoruba people are happy with this initiative. Whoever criticise Amotekun is either a sadist or a person without values. Anybody that is against this initiative is an enemy of the Southwest; and if anything untoward should happen in this region, such a person should be held responsible. “
Adams likened Operation Amotekun to a child of circumstance, saying it represents a traditional way the Yoruba secure their domain.