Like the proverbial jackal that gulped a heavy, wood-carved mortal just like it does water, Ondo Amotekun has been restless over its recent failings, excessive zeal, and severe violations of fundamental rights (which should be the fruits of its labor). Citizens are compelled to question if this initiative, born from the fervent efforts of late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, is living up to the vision of its founder—whether it has become a blessing or a curse for the State. Doubts linger about whether Amotekun is genuinely the answer to security challenges in the Southwest or merely a troubling noise paraded as propaganda that continually glorified Governor Oluwarotimi (may his soul rest in peace) as a hero of the people. Is it not intriguing that the very State that conceived Amotekun as a remedy for security challenges is now unable to adequately support its costs and consequences just five years after its inception? The pronounced failures coinciding with the State’s golden jubilee prompt further reflection. Hmm! Quite unfortunate!
No one could have foreseen this on Tuesday, August 11, 2020, when the Gani Fawehinmi Arcade in Akure, the Ondo State Capital, overflowed with enthusiastic citizens. United by the spirit of a newly birthed initiative—a brainchild of Governor Oluwarotimi—they celebrated together. In the exuberance of this development, imbued with the fierce imagery of a cheetah and propelled by the audacity of a Southwestern Security Network shot into the firmament of Ondo State like rocket, they set aside their concerns. The hopes of the people rest not only in the name but also in the courageous display by the 192 pioneer corps members, believed to have been trained to confront insecurity and criminality in Ondo State, particularly through native intelligence. Marching side by side, Akeredolu, clad in the corps’s striking uniform, assured that the era of insecurity in the Southwest had come to an end. In this transformative moment, Akeredolu ignited a power-play, rallying other Southwestern governors as allies. He emphasized that regional/community policing was the sole solution to Nigeria’s security crisis, citing constitutional provisions that likely sounded like mere jargon to President Buhari, then the leader of Nigeria, whose views on having an additional police force were clearly at odds with Akeredolu’s vision despite his selective solidarity with Hisbah, Civilian JTF and other community policing bodies in the far North. Akeredolu advocated for the corps to be equipped with sophisticated weapons, asserting their adequate training to confront bandits and terrorists while leveraging native intelligence in our expansive forests. He solidified his stance by intertwining it with fervent calls for Southern presidency.
A year post-Amotekun’s establishment, Akeredolu remained popular among many, yet skeptics believed he was merely generating noise without dedicating sufficient time to establishing enduring structures. This concern was tragically validated by the horrific attack on St. Andrews Xavier Catholic Church in the Owo Local Government of Ondo State on June 5, 2022, resulting in at least 50 fatalities and numerous injuries. According to Wikipedia:
“The attack took place at the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in the Owo local government area and began at around 11:30 AM (GMT+1) as worshippers inside the church were attending Mass and celebrating Pentecost. A group of gunmen entered the church disguised as congregants, carrying bags that contained firearms. Another group took positions outside the church. Improvised explosive devices were detonated outside the church, and both groups began firing on worshippers.”
“Those outside the church shot directly into it while those disguised as congregants fired from inside, hitting a boy who was selling candy at the entrance and worshippers attempting to reach two open doorways. The main entrance was locked, and the gunmen inside shot at anyone who moved. Passersby were also struck by bullets. Videos from inside the church showed victims lying in pools of blood across the floor. After the attack, the gunmen fled in a stolen Nissan Sunny.”
Father Andrew Adeniyi Abayomi, a survivor, recounted: “I tried to protect parishioners, remaining in the inner part of the sacristy. I could not flee as I was surrounded by children, while some adults clung to me, even within my chasuble. I shielded them much like a hen shields her chicks.”
The reality is that Governor Akeredolu underestimated the security challenges his state faced at the time. The patriotic governor believed that with a group of minimally trained youth wielding basic weapons, under the leadership of a Retired Deputy Commandant-General in the Civil Defence Corps—whose main achievement revolved around lobbying for the recognition of Civil Defence as a paramilitary agency—Ondo State could rise as a bastion of security in Nigeria. This assumption is far from accurate. And may someone remind Commandant Mr. Adetunji Adeleye that his responsibilities as the Commandant of Amotekun are primarily practical rather than theoretical, in the sense of his defence and paperworks – a sort of leverage for the status of the Civil Defence?
In a previous interview on state-owned OSRC, the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (may his soul rest in peace) mistakenly asserted that these bandits could easily be dispersed by firing a gun into the air. I find this assertion contentious. It’s essential to highlight the disconcerting trend of human rights violations occurring under the guise of this Corps, which was initiated to eradicate the multifaceted threats of insecurity that plague us.
It would be unjust to solely blame Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu or dismiss his bold initiatives leading to Amotekun’s creation. He laid the groundwork with the intention of safeguarding his people and exhibited that he had yet to fulfill his vision for Amotekun, despite his health struggles. The duty of continuing this pursuit of justice now falls upon his successor, Governor Lucky Ayedatiwa, who has benefited from the void left by Akeredolu’s passing. Instead of addressing these issues, Ayedatiwa seems engrossed in the attention and euphoria surrounding this new initiative while allowing critical responsibilities regarding Amotekun to remain unaddressed.
Beyond Akeredolu, how can one blame the jobless youths, transformed into corps operatives, who donned their uniforms? How can we fault them for violations and killings when their Commander has recently been alleged and implicated in an incident involving the accidental discharge of bullets that injured five operatives? It is perhaps unsurprising that these operatives would approach citizens with hostility, stemming from the specific kind of training they receive.
In its formative days, Amotekun was mired in scandals involving blatant violations of citizen rights. On August 9, 2021, for instance, Oluwasegun Olayinka Oluwarotimi was shot by an officer from the Amotekun Corps. This incident not only resulted in the amputation of his leg, rendering him permanently disabled but also obliterated his livelihood as a commercial motorcyclist, leading to enduring hardship.
On October 18, 2022, a demand for two million Naira in compensation was made to the Ondo State Amotekun Commandant. Shortly thereafter, on October 24, 2022, a letter was sent to then-Governor Akeredolu, appealing for intervention. Following a court ruling on March 30, 2023, which awarded Mr. Oluwarotimi ₦30 million, further compliance demands were issued to both the governor and the Attorney-General—an appeal they chose to ignore. Instead of settling the judgment debt, the government opted to appeal, which further dashed Oluwasegun’s hopes, particularly given the incumbent administration’s pursuit of the case that ultimately led to a loss in the appeal. Despite these tumultuous events, the judgment debt remains unpaid, and not even the initiation of garnishee proceedings was enough to compel payment. Tragically, Oluwasegun passed away on February 4, 2026, after enduring prolonged legal battles against the State and Amotekun.
Similarly, on August 5, 2023, a citizen named Akinseloyin Taiwo was brutally shot by Amotekun personnel along NTA Area, Idepe, Okitipupa Local Government of Ondo State. Taiwo was later detained without proper medical care and without formal charges until August 16, 2023. This period of detention exceeded the constitutional limits established in Section 35 (5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999. Seeking justice, Taiwo, through his lawyer, Oluwanike Omotayo Esq., filed a lawsuit against the Ondo State Government, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, the Ondo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun), and the Commandant of Amotekun at the High Court. Hon. Justice A. O. Adebusoye subsequently delivered a judgment, awarding N20 million against the respondents for the unlawful and unconstitutional detention of Taiwo, along with an additional cost of N250,000. I cannot say if this judgment debt had been paid.
Furthermore, on March 30, 2025, Monday Joseph was reportedly tortured, chained, and beaten to death while in Amotekun custody by an officer named Officer Lati in the Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State. The family, represented by their lawyer Mr. Ibukun Fasanmi, submitted a petition to the governor and the Inspector General of Police, alleging that the deceased was tortured to death while detained at the Amotekun facility in Owo.
“The actions of the officer and his men are criminal and unconstitutional; if left unchecked by law enforcement agents like the police, they may trigger a serious crisis that could become uncontrollable, given the aggrieved friends, community members, and loved ones of Monday Joseph who might resort to self-help, which we strongly oppose.”
“The gruesome murder and death of Monday Joseph is one too many that cannot be overlooked or allowed to remain uninvestigated and unpunished. The Ondo State Amotekun Corps is a creation of law, and its officers cannot operate above the law or, with impunity, take a citizen’s life, thereby violating the provisions of Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”
In response to these allegations, Commander Adeleye stated:
“Nobody tortured him. He was arrested for cult-related activities. He became ill while in detention and was rushed to the hospital where he died.”
Recently, on October 27, 2025, three operatives of the Corps—Taiwo Abu, Victor Akinsipe, and Julius Ekujumi—were declared wanted by Adetunji Adeleye, the Ondo Amotekun commander, over allegations of gross misconduct, including breaches of secrecy and undermining the organization. However, these officers maintain that their troubles began after they requested appointment and confirmation letters to formalize their employment and integrate themselves into the state payroll—moves ensuring benefits such as pensions and job security. They pointed out that similar documents had long been provided to Amotekun operatives in Osun, Ekiti, and Ogun states. They further alleged corruption and a lack of transparency within the organization, asserting that the command retains ghost workers on its payroll (while the official strength of Ondo Amotekun is about 1,186 operatives, salaries were purportedly paid for as many as 3,500). I am prompted to question if that reflects the oath of secrecy they swore to uphold.
To quell the discontent among these operatives, they were invited to a meeting on October 23, 2025, only to face violent aggression from security personnel attempting to effect their arrests. After evading capture, the trio reported the incident to the governor’s office and later approached the Ondo State High Court to contest their declaration as wanted, arguing that it lacked a court order. They also alleged ongoing attempts by the state government to disrupt the judicial process, citing the repeated absence of Amotekun’s legal representatives.
In a harrowing revelation, one of the embattled operatives alleged that he was shot at and subsequently pursued to his home. In a video uploaded online, he displayed a T-shirt riddled with bullet holes, asserting that his wife was chased from their home by security operatives, resulting in a broken leg. In fact, the wife will be later seen in a viral video, dishevelled, frustrated. She mounted a protest at roundabout close the governor’s office in Akure, highlighting how the husband could no longer come back home in light of his designation as wanted by the Amotekun Corps, stating further that she just have birth.
The officers voiced broader concerns about leadership practices within the corps, alleging that individuals with minimal educational qualifications are promoted over graduates to suppress internal dissent.
In light of the various allegations in the petitions, a government committed to welfare would have addressed the situation by establishing investigative committees to examine these claims and impose appropriate punitive measures to restore order within the Corps. But no. Instead, the governor publicly expressed his confidence in Adeleye, insisting he would not dismiss him despite an array of allegations surrounding rights violations, corruption, and incompetence. If the claim that the Amotekun Commander accidentally fired bullets injuring five of his operatives during training some days after the governor’s assurance and confidence vote is indeed true, is it not fair to conclude that he is grossly incompetent?
I believe Amotekun is a work in progress. It has the potential to develop an enduring framework if the government takes the necessary steps to address the violations presently branded as intrigues by State forces. Otherwise, the people’s revolution, similar to #ENDSARS, may engulf it. After all, citizens have entrusted their powers for the sake of stability to a Leviathan (now referred to as the State in the Social Science), which is meant to exercise this power in trust for all. To ensure that justice prevails, the Ondo government must thoroughly investigate the cases of human rights violations, killings, especially those already validated by the courts, and allocate the appropriate compensation. Is it morally justifiable to execute one innocent person or permit 100 guilty individuals to evade justice following minimal or no punishment? I maintain that no innocent citizen deserves to perish unjustly, especially at the hands of the State. If the title of Ambassador of the Rule of Law as conferred by Akure NBA is not a mere emblem or perfunctory exaggeration of what is, then, Dr. Lucky Ayedatiwa must do the needful.
Tunde Akingbondere is an author and graduate of law.
