CSOs Raise Alarm Over Continued Closure Of Osun Amotekun’s Office

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The Osun Civil Societies Coalition (OCSC) has raised concerns over the continued closure of the Amotekun Corps offices at the orders of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), describing it as a “dangerous security vacuum” for the state.

The Coalition in a letter addressed to Governor Ademola Adeleke, urged him (Adeleke) to coordinate with the IGP and the Department of State Services (DSS) to ensure that the state’s internal security structures are not crippled.

The letter, signed by OCSC Chairman, Comrade Waheed Lawal, called on the governor to act immediately in his capacity as the state’s Chief Security Officer.

He added that continued sealing of the Amotekun office has left Osun communities exposed at a time when insecurity is rising across the country, stressing that the state is becoming vulnerable due to its proximity to flashpoints of banditry and kidnapping in neighbouring states.

The letter reads in part, “The Osun Civil Societies Coalition writes with deep concern, patriotic responsibility, and a sense of urgency regarding the dangerous security vacuum created by the continued closure of the Osun Amotekun Corps office on the orders of the Inspector-General of Police, following the Akinlalu incident.

“While OCSC acknowledges the need for investigation and accountability, it is unacceptable and dangerous that several weeks after the incident, the report remains concealed, the public remains uninformed, and Amotekun — the state’s primary grassroots security structure — remains locked down and unable to defend our communities in the face of rising banditry and kidnapping incidents across the country.

“Your Excellency, Osun State is facing a rising wave of insecurity advancing from neighbouring states. The recent coordinated attacks in Kwara State, less than 120–150 km from Osun’s northern borders, raise serious alarms across the South-West.

“The Ekura Church attack further demonstrates that criminal networks are expanding, testing the resolve of South-West states, and attempting deeper infiltration. At a time like this, shutting down the Amotekun Corps — Osun’s frontline community security defence — is dangerous.

“Coordinate with the IGP and DSS to ensure that the state’s internal security structures are not crippled, and insist that a state-created institution cannot be permanently grounded without your approval — a power the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria confers on you.”