Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has appealed to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to lift the suspension on the Amotekun Corps, warning that continued restrictions could expose the state to rising banditry and kidnapping.
In a statement issued on Friday by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, Adeleke said the shutdown of Amotekun offices and detention of its senior officers had left Osun “crippled in its security response,” particularly in rural border communities vulnerable to infiltration.
“Closing down Amotekun exposes the Osun people to serious risks. I call on the Inspector-General of Police to unseal Amotekun and allow its operatives to secure my people across the grassroots,” Adeleke said.
He cited a recent kidnapping in Ora-Igbomina as evidence of the growing threat, stressing that Amotekun had developed specialised expertise in tackling rural insecurity.
The governor demanded that detained operatives, including the state commander Adekunle Omoyele, either be charged in court over the alleged killings in Akinlalu community or released after months of incarceration.
“Those officers in detention should be charged in court after several months of incarceration. Any further delay in the reinstatement of Amotekun operations will jeopardise the safety and security of our people,” he added.
Amotekun has been absent from Osun’s security framework since September 30, 2025, when an alleged invasion of Akinlalu community by its operatives reportedly left three residents dead. Following the incident, several corps members were arrested and transferred to Abuja.
Adeleke warned that without Amotekun’s reinstatement, rural communities could face increased criminal infiltration, urging the police to act swiftly to restore the outfit’s operations.
