The Amotekun Corps has mobilised over 2,000 personnel to flush out bandits and other criminals operating in forests in the South-West region.
Ogun and Osun states top the list with targeted 1,000 recruits each, while Oyo recruited 480 men last October as part of efforts to curtail the influx of bandits.
The state commanders of the corps confirmed on Tuesday that more men would soon be recruited to strengthen the South-West Security Network and enhance its operations against bandits, kidnappers and other hoodlums hibernating in South-West forests and reserves.
The targeted operation follows reports of increased kidnapping incidents and other illicit activities by bandits from the Sahel countries and other shady characters.
The National Bureau of Statistics revealed in a survey last December that Nigerians paid a total of N2.23tn as ransom between May 2023 and April 2024.
According to the NBS’s Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey report, an estimated 51.89 million crime incidents were recorded across Nigerian households in the reference period.
The survey indicated that the South-West recorded 6.9m crime incidents during the period.
The North-West region had the highest incidence of crime, with 14.4m cases reported, followed by the North-Central region with 8.8m incidents.
To bolster security in the southwest, the Ondo State Amotekun Corps Commander, Adetunji Adeleye, explained that “Amotekun rangers” had been deployed in the forests to evict the bandits.
Adeleye, who is also the Chairman of the Amotekun Commanders in the southwest, stated, “The Amotekun rangers are in the forest already to flush out the bandits who may want to use our forests as hideouts. Like I do say, no room for bandits in Ondo State.”
He, however, sought more support for the corps in terms of weapons and other security hardware.
‘’What they provided for us is what we are using and that is what we will continue to use. Automatic weapons are on the exclusive list and we will not go near there.
“I would also say we want technology for tracking the location of the criminals and other gadgets to enhance our operational capability and improve intelligence gathering. These are the major areas where we would want to improve upon.”
The Ogun Amotekun Corps Commander, Brig-Gen. Alade Adedigba (retd.), disclosed that his men, numbering over 1,000, had been given the marching orders to move against bandits occupying forests in the state.
Adedigba announced plans to recruit more men, adding that Governor Dapo Abiodun has also given a directive that an additional 1,000 operatives should be recruited to further boost the efficiency of the security outfit.
