Amotekun Corps
Following the rising invasion of bandits in the Southwest region of Nigeria, some villagers in Ondo State have started to flee from their homes, over constant attacks suffered from the criminal elements.
This has become the fate of residents in some villages in the state after longtime reported cases of attacks, abductions and sometimes killings, which have continued to disrupt business activities, undermine food security and displace a large number of inhabitants, PUNCH reported.
Recall that because of this invasion of bandits in the Southwest region, governors in the six South-West states, formed a regional security network popularly known as ‘Amotekun’ on January 9, 2020
According to an investigation by the media outlet, a resident who gave her name as Tinu said she lives in Akoko but visits Ifon often and that it is always a scary journey to embark on.
“I live after Arigidi Akoko but I often commute on the road that leads to Ifon. I have a friend I visit regularly. That road is now lonely, Amotekun men have practically been overpowered in that place because it’s like the epicentre of herdsmen. They sacked an entire community,” she said.
Also, a paramount ruler who didn’t want his name on print said he had to get extra local security to support the Amotekun but that they’re struggling to keep them away.
Although, the men of the Amotekun security corps didn’t say much about the challenges faced, residents gave their views about some of the problems the security network are facing in the line of duty. Continue Reading…
A man who simply gave his name as Joe and a graduate of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, said Amotekun is powerless in certain parts of the state and his parents had to abandon their home because of the security crisis in their area.
“Which Amotekun? Bandits are killing people in Ose LG every day. Ifon, Okeluse, Molege, Arimogijaa communities are no-go areas till today. We even heard Amotekun were told to stop fighting the bandits when they lost like 5 of their officers in that environment. My parents had to leave the house to go and stay with my brother who lives in Ondo town,” he said.
While travellers have been attacked, killed and kidnapped, the farmers and their farmlands too weren’t spared.
From stories of being slaughtered on their farms to escaping with injuries and destruction of farmlands, the farmers have had a bitter taste of the precarious security situation of the state.
Femi Adeyele, a farmer with 50 hectares of farmland in Igbara Oke, Ifedore local government area, captured the prevailing situation in an interview.
Adeyele, who was still nursing the injuries he sustained from an attack by herdsmen recounted his ordeal, “I met them (herdsmen) on my 50 hectares farm that had cassava planted on it. I was somewhere watching and I saw as they uprooted my cassava to feed their cows. This angered me and I came out of where I was and ordered them to leave my farm but instead, it seemed like they spoke some language to their cows and they surrounded me. As I tried to run, I put the phone to my ears feigning a call to Amotekun for help but they struck me with cutlass and I began to bleed.”
Another farmer, Yele Adaranijo, said the herdsmen usually lay ambush for farmers before they strike.
“They came to my farm and destroyed the corn we planted. They tried attacking my farmer colleagues and me but we begged them not to hurt us. We also begged them not to destroy our crops because that was our only means of livelihood. They’re always threatening us here; we are tired of this whole thing,” he said. Continue Reading…
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