Commander of the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun, in Oyo State, Col. Olayinka Olayanju (retd), yesterday, declared that the security outfit cannot perform miracles by stemming the high rate of insecurity within one month of its inauguration.
His reaction came on the heels of series of killings and kidnappings in the South-West, since the inauguration of the southwest security network, as people believed that the impact of the corps has not been really felt.
He, however, said that the security outfit has handled about 40 criminal cases since its inauguration in November 2020, adding that all the suspected criminal elements arrested in the process were handed over to the police.
His words: “It is going to be difficult for me to give you a precise figure, but I can tell you that since the inception of Amotekun about a month ago, we have been able to hand over 40 cases, two of which have been concluded and the culprits are already cooling their feet at the correctional facility in Oyo.
“There is no resurgence. There has been insecurity in the southwest and it was because of the high level of insecurity that Amotekun was established.
“But people are now saying that despite the establishment of Amotekun, insecurity is still high. First and foremost, how long has Nigeria Police been in existence? How long has the Nigerian Army been in existence? How long have all federal security agencies been in existence?.
“Now you people are now asking despite the establishment of Amotekun, insecurity in the southwest is still high. Amotekun has just begun operation. It can’t perform magic. It’s just one month old. So in one month, people expected Amotekun to perform miracles or they want Amotekun corps to become a magician by a wave of the eye, they will just stop insecurity in one month of operation.
“There is no resurgence, the insecurity has been there and Amotekun was just established to assist the Police to stem insecurity. So, Amotekun is not an independent body, it is to work with the Police stem insecurity and they have just started; people should not expect Amotekun to perform miracles.”
On the challenges being confronted by the corps, the commander said: “There are no challenges we are facing more than the people who would come to plead that we should release those arrested, but I won’t mention their names. We arrested some in (Ibadan) North-East less than a week ago.”