Ola Ajayi, Ibadan

THE Director-General Mr Seye Oyeleye has said that COVID-19 pandemic hindered the take-off of the much-touted Western Nigeria Security Network codenamed Amotekun.

According to him,  the six states were in the process of recruiting personnel into the corps when coronavirus struck.

He added that it was the restriction of movements and a ban on the gathering of people in Nigeria led to the delay.

The security outfit was launched last year by governors in the South-West zone.

Also read: Police lethargy caused establishment of Amotekun ―Yoruba elders

The commission in a statement entitled: COVID-19 Pandemic: Amotekun and the Call for Deployment in the Wake of Insecurity in the Region, further explained that the states were yet to conclude their recruitment before COVID-19 broke out which automatically hindered the commission from conducting training for the personnel as scheduled.

He disclosed that Chairman of governors in the zone who is also the Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) had announced that the corps would take off in April according to recruitment and training schedule.

“To make Amotekun strong and efficient when it eventually commences operation, DAWN Commission and the state representatives drew up a template for the recruitment and training of the Amotekun personnel. This is to ensure uniformity in the recruitment process and particularly, to instil in the personnel, the ethics of Omoluwabi through the training, as this is what WNSN symbolizes.”

“Almost all the states in the region have started recruiting prospective personnel for the security outfit. But as agreed upon at one of the meetings of the special advisers to the governors on security matters, there has to be a common template for training. This is to ensure a uniform mode of operation across the region.”

“Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu who is also the Chairman of the Western Nigeria Governors Forum (WNGF) said in one of his recent interactions with journalists that the security outfit and the deployment of the Amotekun vehicles would take off in April 2020 across the region. This explains why DAWN Commission had to convene series of meeting with the SAs on security, commissioners for regional integration as well as other stakeholders, just to make sure that no critical area is left behind before the take-off in April as proposed by the governors.

“Unfortunately, the whole process has been stagnated as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has made the gathering of the personnel for training difficult and unadvisable. The emergency posed by this deadly virus has also brought about some security challenges in some states in the region as a result of some measures being taken by the governors to prevent its spread. For instance, in the wake of recent activities of hoodlums and street urchins, some concerned Nigerians have asked why Amotekun has not been deployed to intervene.

“It is imperative to note that the six governours in the region prioritize the issue of security as it affects the lives and property of the citizens. But they are also aware of the need to avoid negative feedback from the people; the enrolment into Amotekun has to be thorough since the governors would be held accountable if the outfit goes outside its mandate. As a result of this, one would not expect the person to put on the uniform, or the Amotekun vehicles deployed without proper training and mapping out of areas to be secured.

“At this juncture, it is important to state that some vigilante and self-determination groups are working with the police and other security agencies operating within the region, to flush out these criminals. We also want to assure all that as soon as COVID-19 pandemic is over, DAWN Commission shall work with the states in continuing the process of recruiting, which has not been completed in the states and to ensure that the uniform training as directed by the governors is conducted before the deployment of personnel and vehicles.

He however assured people in the zone that the security outfit had come to stay.

“Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted the operational take-off, but as soon as the coast is clear for a resumption of activities and a return to our daily lives, the training of Amotekun personnel will commence in earnest”, he assured.

Vanguard