Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has called on the Nigeria Police Force to immediately unseal the offices of the Osun State Security Network Agency, Amotekun, warning that the continued shutdown is worsening insecurity in the state.
The governor said reopening the Amotekun offices in Ile-Ife and Osogbo would help curb the rising cases of banditry and kidnapping threatening Osun communities.
Adeleke also expressed concern over the possible spillover of criminal activities from neighbouring Kwara State into Osun, cautioning that the situation could deteriorate further if proactive security measures are not restored.
Speaking in Osogbo on Thursday through his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the governor cited a recent kidnapping incident in the Ora-Igbomina area as evidence of growing insecurity along the state’s border communities.
According to him, Osun’s security response has been significantly weakened following the sealing of Amotekun offices by the police and the continued detention of some senior officers of the outfit without trial for several months.
“Amotekun operatives possess specialised knowledge and experience in securing rural and border areas. This capacity is currently lacking due to the suspension of their activities,” Adeleke said.
He noted that the shutdown of the outfit has created security gaps that are being exploited by bandits and other criminal elements in vulnerable communities across the state.
The governor appealed directly to the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, to ensure that detained Amotekun officers are promptly charged to court and that the agency is allowed to resume operations.
Adeleke warned that further delay in resolving the issue could expose rural dwellers to increased danger and deepen criminal infiltration in the state.
“I am taking this matter to the public domain in view of another kidnapping at Ora-Igbomina. Closing down Amotekun exposes Osun people to serious risks,” he said.
“Those officers in detention should be charged to court after several months of incarceration. Any further delay in the unsealing of Amotekun will further jeopardise the safety and security of our people.”
DAILY POST reports that the Amotekun offices in Ile-Ife and Osogbo were raided and sealed by the police following the Akinlalu killings on September 30, 2025.
The police had alleged that rogue Amotekun personnel went on a killing spree in Akinlalu town in an attempt to recover arms allegedly confiscated by some thugs.
Meanwhile, the Osun Amotekun Corps Commander, Isaac Omoyele, and some other personnel arrested during the raid are still being held in police detention in Abuja.
In January, wives of the detained operatives staged protests, calling on the government and relevant authorities to release their husbands, whom they described as innocent of the allegations levelled against them.
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