Osun Amotekun: Restriction to carry firearms limits crime fighting operations – Commander

By Charles Nwabardi

The Commander of Osun Security Network Agency, also known as Amotekun Corps, Brigadier General Bashir Adewimbi (retd.), has lamented thatrestriction to carry firearms limits crime fighting prowess of the agency in its crime fighting operations.

Adewimbi however, disclosed that more operatives would be recruited to strengthen its Corps in flushing out bandits hiding in forests.

The Corps Commander made this known on Saturday in Ede, stating that they had credible intelligence information that bandits and criminals were hiding in the forests.

He said, “The banditry and terrorism we are experiencing in our region now is the spill over effect of what is happening around the country.

“We have credible intelligence that bandits are all in our forests and we are strategising to comb the forests and make sure we drive them away or arrest them.”

Adewimbi said, ”The operatives of the corps are determined to go into the forests flush out theses criminals using the forests as their hideout.

“The governor has approved the recruitment of more competent operatives.

“We will not be recruiting or engaging those who are just looking for work but people that are bold and courageous that will go into the forest to confront and combat criminals hiding in the forests.

“We are going to recruit courageous hunters that go into the forest to hunt for weeks and months.”

”The people we are looking for, we want now, are people that can combat the problem on ground.”

He said the corps only has 360 operatives deployed to all the 30 local government areas and local council area, in the state, stating that there was dire need to recruit more men.

Adewimbi said, ”Although the state Amotekun corps gathers intelligence and works with existing security agencies to enhance community policing, their restriction to carry firearms limits their crime fighting operations.

“Basically, we provide information and confront criminals where there is need for it, even though we are not adequately armed.

“In the process of our recruitment we factored in the fact that we are not allowed to carry arms /guns but we are working on obtaining licenced guns.”

Speaking on how to improve security in the state, Adewimbi called on the residents to always monitor their environments and not to harbour criminals.

He said, ”Government alone cannot provide all the funds and equipment needed by Amotekun for its operations.

”We are therefore appealing to well meaning people of the state to come to our aid, while we are appreciating those already assisting the corps.”