Oyo APC questions circumstances surrounding 200 Amotekun personnel’s deaths

The All Progressives Congress in Oyo State, on Thursday, described the reported loss of more than 200 members of the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun Corps, in the state in undisclosed circumstances as saddening, alarming and unacceptable.

The party, in a statement released by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, in Ibadan, the state capital, called on Governor Seyi Makinde to provide more details about the revelation and ensure that the corps officials, as well as all responsible residents, were protected by his administration.

The PidomNigeria reports that Makinde had, on Saturday, May 30, during his sympathy visit to Oriire Local Government Area, where suspected bandits killed two people and abducted over 40 school children and their teachers, on Friday, May 15, said over 200 men of the Amotekun Corps lost their lives in active service recently, without giving details of what led to their death.

Reacting in a statement on Thursday, Oyo APC expressed dismay over “lack of empathy on the part of Makinde, who broke the sad news with utmost flippancy, triviality and insensitivity as if he was talking about chickens or goats killed by epidemics.

“With this ugly development, there is no denying the fact that the current administration in Oyo does not attach much importance to the lives of the people.

“How can a governor mention the death of over 200 dedicated crime fighters flippantly and without any recourse to the feelings of their family members and loved ones? Why did the governor withhold information on the high casualty figures of the slain Amotekun Corps?

“For Oyo to have recorded such a high number of fatalities among its security team, it indicates that crime rates in the state have reached the crescendo while the state government covers up a whole lot of things.”

The party also queried the condition of service of security operatives and the collaboration with federal agencies.

“The revelation by the governor also raises a lot of questions regarding the condition of service in the Amotekun Corps Service.

“From our own discreet investigations, we found that Makinde has failed to work a synergy between the corps and the federal security agencies on account of needless ego and cluelessness.

“Meanwhile, it is important for the governor to involve relevant security experts in the fight against crime in the state.

“The practice whereby Amotekun Corps members are being deployed to man hotels, properties and business facilities belonging to friends and political associates of the governor should be stopped, while only competent hands should be recruited, even as training, retraining and good welfare packages must be put in place for the officials for them to operate under minimum risk and high motivation,” APC stated.