Factors crippling Amotekun’s mandate include underfunding, manpower deficiency
• Underfunding of police causes lack of operational vehicles than Amotekun
• Amotekun has hampered operations from poor logistical support, poor training and lack of adequate manpower.
Factors crippling Amotekun’s mandate include underfunding, manpower deficiency
Concerns are mounting regarding the Western Nigeria Security Network’s capacity to curtail the influx of terrorists into forests and major towns in the South-West.
Investigation revealed that despite budgetary provisions for the regional security outfit codenamed Amotekun in the region, their operations are still ineffective by insufficient funding, poor logistical support, poor training and inadequate manpower.
Of the factors, the poor financing of the security outfit established on January 9, 2020, was responsible for its inability to mark its fifth-year anniversary and send a strong message to “enemies within” of its readiness to contain criminality in the zone.
This – Amotekun was established primarily to protect the region amid rising insecurity in the country, accentuated by indiscriminate killings, kidnappings, banditry and destruction of farmlands. The agency is also to collaborate with the Nigeria Police in carrying out its constitutional assignment.
Unfortunately, the agency’s existence in the last five years has not translated to a reduced crime rate in the region as reflected in rising incidents of killings, kidnappings, robbery and herder/farmer clashes among others.
For instance, data from the Nigeria Security Tracker (NST) of the Council of Foreign Affairs, indicated that no fewer than 145 persons were kidnapped, and 178 killed by non-state actors in the region in 2021.
Following the data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), it showed a surge in kidnapping incidents in the region as 15,693 were kidnapped between May 2023 and May 2024. With this huge number, this is several times higher than what was the case before the outfit was launched.
In 2024, the ransom paid to kidnappers in the region was N248 million and the victims included several monarchs and some were murdered.
Other prominent individuals, including high-networth persons, clerics, farmers, traders and travellers on major highways in the zone were not spared.
Most recently, the wife of retired Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Hakeem Odumosu, Folashade was kidnapped at the gate of her residence in the Arepo Area of Ogun State. She was rescued a week later by the security forces who killed one of her abductors and arrested two others.
The fear of terrorists occupying forests and farms in the region is palpable. The blood-thirsty criminals appeared to have found the South-West a haven to continue their nefarious activities.
The recent arrest by the Department of State Services (DSS) of 10 suspected members of ISWAP in Ilesha, Osun State, confirmed their presence in the region.
According to the DSS, the suspects were arrested while undergoing training on how to manufacture and detonate explosives.
The DSS disclosed that its preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects were members of the Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorist group.
Also, the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, recently revealed security reports indicating that “some bad elements from the North-West are relocating here due to military heat in their zone. But we will find and deal with them.”
It would be recalled that it was the invasion of the South-West forests by “foreigners,” which led to the killing of Mrs Funke Olakunrin, the daughter of the Afenifere leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, in Ondo State, that propelled the six governors of the region to set up the security network.
The late governor of Ondo State and chairman of the South-West Governors Forum, Rotimi Akeredolu, at the launch of Amotekun on January 9, 2020, assured that the governors of Ekiti, Ondo, Oyo, Osun, Ogun and Lagos (which named its own outfit- Neighbourhood Safety Corps), agreed to provide the outfits with adequate logistical support to effectively carry out their assignments.
To demonstrate their commitment to making Amotekun, a solution to security challenges in the region, each state provided 20 vehicles and motorcycles for the use of the security outfit.
But five years on, Amotekun has become a reference point of how not to run a regional security outfit, or how to carry out community policing.
Since the security outfit was established in Ondo State in 2020, it has received N1.83 billion; N350m in 2021; N1.38 billion in 2022: N60 million in 2023, and N30 million in 2024.
In Oyo State, apart from N59.7 million take-off grant given to the outfit in 2020, information received from the state Ministry of Finance revealed that the government has released N463 million for the security outfit in 2021, N325 million in 2022; N296,740 million in 2023; N303 billion in 2024, and N415 million in 2025.
In Ogun, Amotekun had its budget proposal increased from N765 million to N1.57 billion in 2025. It was allocated N731.8 million in 2024 as against N727 million in 2023; N229.9 million in 2022, and N207 million in 2021. The increase in this year’s budget became necessary because of Governor Dapo Abiodun’s promise to employ 1,000 Amotekun personnel to boost its staff strength.
The Lagos State Neighbourhood Watch was allocated N5.77 billion in 2021; N5.9 billion in 2022; N7.66 billion in 2023, and N6.9 billion in 2024.
Since 2021 when Ekiti budgeted N1.45 billion for Amotekun, the regional security outfit has been at the mercy of Governor Biodun Oyebanji. It was gathered that the outfit is being allocated funds money from the Ekiti Security Trust Fund.
In 2024, N2.8 billion was budgeted for the Trust Fund.
In Osun State, the agency has no budget. However, a review of the 2022 Q3 budget performance of the state on its website revealed that N28 million was spent to provide uniforms and kits for the outfit while N247,250 was expended on motorcycles and N54,600 was spent on technical support for the security outfit. This expenditure was captured under community service.
To illustrate how underfunded the outfit is in Osun State, a paltry sum of N195.5 million was earmarked for it in the 2025 budget.
Speaking on Amotekun’s capability to confront terrorists escaping to the South-West, a security expert, Mr Raheem Odugbemi said: “Since the demise of Akeredolu, not much can be said of the security outfit. In my opinion, it seems other governors did not understand the vision and how to operate it. I reside in Mowe, Ogun State, and I keep asking everybody around if they have seen any vehicle or personnel in Amotekun uniform.
“The last time I saw their vehicle was on my way to Sagamu, and they were in the convoy of Governor Dapo Abiodun. You know Mowe is not far from Arepo, where AIG Odumosu’s wife was kidnapped, but later rescued by security forces. They are supposed to be effective in gathering intelligence and cooperating with the Nigerian Police.
“They should be able to identify all the dark spots in the state and plant informants in all these areas. Do you know how many people that have been kidnapped, or robbed within the Ogun State axis on the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway? It is obvious that there is no political will to drive the security outfit in this state.
“We should not be under any illusion that they have the requisite training to identify these terrorists, not to talk of identifying them. But it is not too late to train them on how to handle the serious issues that we have on hand. Do you know how many Okada riders that are coming to the South-West every day that are informants to these terrorist groups?”
A resident of Ijebu Ode in Ogun State, Kolade Kokumo, explained that for more than three years, he has not seen an Amotekun operative, let alone assess the outfit’s performance.
He stated that the state governments should stop paying lip service to providing security services and concentrate on how to improve the security outfit by adequately funding it to perform its mandate.
A resident of Ilaro, Ogun State, Mrs Felicia Adekunle, noted that the outfit has deviated from its core activities, disclosing that on two occasions, its operatives were acting as private security guards to some high-profile individuals in society at public functions.
She urged the state governments to prioritise the outfit’s needs to enable it to perform effectively in policing the state for a better environment.
The Commander of Osun State Amotekun Security Corps, Adekunle Isaac Omoyele, said the outfit is trying its best to deliver on its mandate.
He, however, identified the dearth of adequate manpower as the major impediment to its operations.
He lamented that with just 320 personnel, ensuring effective security in all the 30 local councils of the state has been a daunting task, stressing that efforts are underway to boost its workforce.
He said: “I met a pitiable staff strength on the ground when I reported to this office. The sorry number of 320 operatives cannot cover four local councils. I have written a memo for improvement and shortly it will be addressed.
He continued: “Amotekun in the state was in a dire situation, grappling with several challenges, before I came on board in late 2024. It was faced with insufficient manpower, inadequate equipment, and a lack of coordination with other security agencies. It is also facing a lack of essential resources like vehicles, firearms, and communication tools, which hampers its ability to respond swiftly to security threats. However, we are grateful to Governor Ademola Adeleke, who has addressed many of the inherited challenges within the state,” Omoyele remarked.
Despite these impediments, he noted that Amotekun has made significant strides in improving security in Osun State, stressing that “we have contributed to the reduction of banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, and thuggery, especially in rural areas.”
While noting that the security outfit had fostered stronger relationships with local communities, enhancing intelligence gathering and cooperation in crime prevention, Omoyele added: “Amotekun has made notable arrests in connection with various criminal activities.
“The corps is now part of the civil service scheme, a development that has been well received by all personnel. Furthermore, a new law stipulates that anyone who attacks Amotekun officers while on duty faces a seven-year jail term, and with the support of the Attorney General of the State, we can prosecute criminals in court,” Omoyele averred.
With the modest strides recorded by the security outfit in Ondo State reflected in the reduction in the herder/farmer clashes, as well as, the reduction of kidnapping incidents, and highway robbery, the outfit was caught napping when bandits attacked St. Francis Catholic Church, in the Owaluwa area of Owo, on June 5, 2022, where over 50 worshipers were killed, as well as, the killing of a first-class monarch, the Olufon of Ifon, Oba Israel Adeusi, in November 2020.
With almost N2 billion budgeted for the corps since inception, the Commander of Amotekun in the state, Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed that the major challenge confronting the agency is inadequate equipment to match the firepower of the criminals.
In Ekiti State, the security outfit was so ineffective that the government had to replace its pioneer commander, Brigadier General Joe Komolafe (rtd), with Brigadier General Olu Adewa (rtd).
In 2024, there was a resurgence of kidnappings and killings across the state. No fewer than six pupils, three teachers and the bus driver of a private school in Emure-Ekiti (owned by the Apostolic Faith Mission) were abducted while returning to the Eporo-Ekiti community.
Also, two traditional rulers – the Onimojo of Imojo Ekiti, Oba Olatunde Samuel Olusola, and the Elesun of Esun Ekiti, Oba David Babatunde Ogunsola, were killed in an ambush by armed men while returning from a meeting in Oke-Ako area in Ikole Local Council. The third traditional ruler, the Alara of Ara–Ekiti, Oba Adebayo Fatoba, escaped the attack.
Several motorcycle riders have been murdered in the state by unknown gunmen in 2024. These are just a few of the crimes happening in the state without any visible actions from the Amotekun corps .
Although the commandant could not be reached, personnel of the corps who confided in The Guardian because he was not permitted to speak, said that the corps lacked proper funding and equipment.
In April 2024, Oyebanji procured 30 vehicles to strengthen the Amotekun Corps.
A security expert and retired assistant commissioner of police, Mr Ojo Olusegun, said that the fact that Amotekun does not have prosecutorial powers has limited its success in the area of fighting crime, even as he admitted that the corps could metamorphose into the state police.
According to him, the police do not have more operational vehicles than Amotekun, noting that most state governments including Ekiti have been assisting the police with logistics and operational equipment.
By Muyiwa Adeyemi (Politics Editor), Ayodele Afolabi (Ado Ekiti), Rotimi Agboluaje (Ibadan), Oluwole Ige (Osogbo), Adewale Momoh (Akure)and Azeez Olorunlomeru (Abeokuta)
