Oyo State Amotekun Corps: A Lawless Agency -By Eyes Above

It is common saying of educated elites among Amotekun Corps in SouthWest Nigeria that Amotekun Security Network outfit is created to complement the effort of existing security agents in the Country most especially in the SouthWset region of the Country. The word “sister agent” is not left out whenever Amotekun elites want to be relevant among other Security Agent existing in our society.

In actual sense, as a security expert and also a law abiding concerned citizen of Oyo State I tried to figured out the areas where Amotekun corps in the Southwest States is complementing the efforts of the existing Securities. And professionally, by standard is Amotekun really a sister agency to the other Security agencies in the Country Nigeria?

As you all know that there are six Nigerian States that make up the SouthWest States and out of these States only Lagos State has not flag off the operation of Amotekun but the State has its own Security outfit as Lagos State Neighborhood Watch, which is well structured and formally organized for effective operation and monitoring.

The input and output of human and nonhuman resources in Oyo State Amotekun will be a definite centre of focus which I implore Oyo State Government to analyze, synthesis and juxtapose to know if really Oyo State Amotekun Security Network Agency is made up of human and nonhuman resources that can really provide maximum security for lives and properties of the citizens as the Agency claim to be. Based on the experienced human resources as input both at the agency and operatives levels of Ogun, Ondo and Ekiti States Amotekun Security Network Agency, the ways and manner of arresting criminals in the States above follows a well structured and organized way unlike Oyo State where experienced Rtd Major General Togun and Rtd Col. Olayinka are being used as human input to annex little human resource available with little non-human resources to achieve the security objectives of the Agency as well stated in a Law that established

Oyo state Security Agency in year 2020.

In Oyo State Amotekun the board chairman is incapacitated despite his wealth of experience as a retired Major General whose brilliant performance while in the military service was great. It would only be career defamation on Major General Togun who had served meritoriously while in military to accept that he is really the active Board Chairman for Oyo State Security Agency.

Major General Toogun who joined Nigerian Army in 1968. He was the first non-American Army Officer to score 100 percent in a military subject at the aptitude level. He served in various positions in the Army, including Presidential Guards, Dodan Barracks, Lagos; Adviser in the Nigerian Embassy, Cotonou in 1979; Battalion Commander; Brigade Commander, Director of Military Intelligence. This Experienced Military Major General served the Country as Director of Military Intelligence and former Deputy Director-General of the State Security Service.

Likewise, it will be a career scandal on the Commandat; Rtd Col. Olayinka who has also tirelessly served in Nigerian Army having obtained a Higher Defence Management and National Security certification from the National Defence College, Abuja in 1993. Holds a Masters of Strategic Studies certificate from the University of Ibadan, as well as a Postgraduate Diploma in Criminology and Security Studies from the National Open University, Abuja; Professional Diploma in Safety and Security Management from the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, among other educational and professional certifications. He served as Assistant Director, British Military Advisory Training Team, Defence Headquarters, Abuja; Deputy Chief of Staff (Logistics), Headquarters 2 Div, Nigerian Army, Ibadan and Sector Commander, Operation Safe Haven, Plateau State, among others.

Non human resource that was constituted by the Oyo State House of Assembly signed by the Executive Governor of Oyo State in the year 2020 who are part of human resources in charge of Oyo State Amotekun Corps. This Establishing law which is non-human is meant to guide the day to day activities of the Amotekun Agency has been rendered ineffective. And ineffectiveness of this Establishing Law is indirectly making the input and efforts of Oyo State House Assembly members and good will of the Executive Governor of Oyo State a futile effort.

One of the issues affecting Oyo State Amotekun and which is addressed properly in the Law is grading/ranking system. This grading/ranking system has been in military and para-military even in the related voluntary organization like Man “o” war, Boys brigades, Boye scout, even in the OPC where the Amotekun Deputy commandant Akinro emerge from and this OPC faction is been used to shy away from putting in place ranking/grading system as stipulated in section 8 (e) as the power of Board under the law that established Oyo State Amotekun.
Powers of the Board.

8. The powers of the Board shall include-
(a) setting general policy guidelines for the management of the Agency;
(b) setting the administrative guidelines for the conditions and welfare of staff of the Agency;
(c) making recommendations to the Governor on the terms and conditions of employment and remuneration of staff of the Agency;
(d) approving programmes of training for members and other staff of the Agency for effectiveness and efficiency in the performance of their functions under this Law;
(e) providing a graded Command structure for the Amotekun Corps;
(f) designing and approving the uniform of the different grades of the Amotekun Corps;
(g) appointing suitable persons as members of the Amotekun Corps;
(h) promoting and disciplining the staff of the Agency;
(i) removing or deleting from the register, the name of an Amotekun Corps member if-
(i) the member is unfit to discharge the functions of the Amotekun Corps by reason of infirmity or misconduct; or
(ii) he withdraws in writing, from being a member of the Amotekun Corps;
(j) fostering relationships between the Agency and similar security network agencies, articularly in Ogun, Lagos, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti States; and
(k) doing other such things as the Board may consider appropriate for the overall development and growth of the Agency.
(Copied from Oyo State Amotekun Law 2020)

As it is known that in Military ranks is a system of hierarchical relationships, within the armed forces, police, intelligence agencies or other institutions organized along military lines (like Amotekun Corps). The military rank system defines dominance, authority, and responsibility in a military hierarchy. It incorporates the principles of exercising power and authority into the military chain of command – the succession of commanders’ superior to subordinates through which command is exercised. The military chain of command constructs an important component for organized collective action. Who can believe that Rtd Major General Toogun and Rtd Col Olayinka are part to Oyo State Amotekun Corps without structure?

What could be responsible for this need to explain to the member of the pubic for better understanding on why the Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun) a pace setter State and the State of pioneer Chairman of Western Nigeria Security Network Agency is behind among the SouthWest States where Amotekun is been practice.

Sir it will be unethical and uncalled for to say that Major General (rtd) Toogun and Col (Rtd) Olayinka are not properly handle the issue affecting Amotekun corps in Oyo State but instead these two principal and pioneer leaders failed to follow the tenet law that established Oyo State Amotekun Corps which can go a long way in solving several challenges facing the Agency.

In conclusion, it is strongly advisable that the Law that Established Oyo State Amotekun should be put to use by the Amotekun Board and the Agency. The implementation of this established Law shall go a long way to put end to various administrative problems and corps misconduct as law enforcement agent and also presents each Amotekun corps as a good image maker for the Local Government and Oyo State in general.