Bashir Adewimbi, commander of Osun Security Network Agency, otherwise known as ‘Amotekun corps’, says more operatives would be recruited to strengthen internal security and flush out bandits hiding in forests.
Adewimbi said this during an interview with NAN on Saturday in Ede, Osun state.
He said the Amotekun corps had received credible intelligence that bandits and criminals were hiding in the forests.
“The banditry and terrorism we are experiencing in our region now is the spillover effect of what is happening around the country,” Adewimbi said.
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“We have credible intelligence that bandits are all in our forests and we are strategising to comb the forests and make sure we drive them away or arrest them.
“The operatives of the corps are determined to go into the forests and flush out these criminals using the forests as their hideout.
“The governor has approved the recruitment of more operatives who are competent.
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“We will not be recruiting or engaging those who are just looking for work but people that are bold and courageous that will go into the forest to confront and combat criminals hiding in the forests.
“We are going to recruit courageous hunters that goes into the forest to hunt for weeks and months.”
He said presently, the corps only has 360 operatives, deployed to all the 30 local government areas in the state.
“Although the state Amotekun corps gathers intelligence and works with existing security agencies to enhance community policing, their restriction to carry firearms limits their crime-fighting operations.
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“Basically, we provide information and confront criminals where there is a need for it, even though we are not adequately armed.
“In the process of our recruitment we factored in the fact that we are not allowed to carry arms /guns but we are working on obtaining licenced guns.
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