By BABATOPE OKEOWO, Akure

Head of the traditional hunters in Akure, the Ondo State capital, Chief Lere Ijalade has blamed the inability of the Amotekun Corps in tackling kidnapping and other heinous crimes in the Southwest on the method by which they were recruited by respective state governments.

Ijalade, who is the Akogbona of Akure, said the young graduates employed into Amotekun Corps do not have what it takes to confront the rampaging Fulani herdsmen terrorizing the geo-political zone.

Speaking with New Telegraph Wednesday, Ijalade said the security network for the zone has been politicized by various people in government for selfish reasons.

His words “We were the one they (governors) called when they first wanted to establish Amotekun. We gathered our people. Unfortunately, they handed the job over to people who do not know anything about forest reserves.”

According to him, children of commissioners, permanent secretaries and top political office holders were hired into the Amotekun.

Ijalade said “The actual set of people who should be engaged are local hunters, members of Oodua Progressive Congress (OPC) and traditional vigilantes. If there is any crisis now, can those boys in the Amotekun Corps face anyone?

“The Ondo State case is so horrible. Go to Ogun State, Oyo and Ekiti states and see how their Amotekun Corps are organised and the way they operate. They are quite different from what is obtainable in Ondo State.

“Real hunters enlisted for Amotekun in Ondo State are not more up to five. It is hunters that are familiar with the forest. If there is anything that is not clear to the people, it is the hunters should be assigned to go and unravel such mystery.

“They can go to the forest during the day or in the night with their headlamps. That is why the Amotekun Corps cannot perform creditably well because they enlisted the wrong people.

“OPC members and hunters are the appropriate people to do the job. Though OPC members are not hunters, they go round and are powerful too.” (New Telegraph)

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