The Commandant of Ekiti State Security Network codenamed Amotekun, Brigadier-General Joe Komolafe (Rtd.), has said the corps will deploy supernatural and modern security techniques to combat banditry, kidnapping and other criminalities in the state.

Komolafe disclosed this on Monday at Efon Alaaye during a sensitisation tour of Ekiti West, Efon Alaaye and Ijero local government areas of the state.

The Corps Commandant explained the security outfit would employ ancient Yoruba tactics of securing territories and fishing out criminals from their hide outs.

He noted the neglect of local and ancient patterns of exposing criminals was one of the factors responsible for the rising wave of crimes in the region.

He charged traditional rulers to deploy their supernatural prowess to secure lives and properties of people in their domains.

Describing Amotekun as a force of liberation, Komolafe assured the security outfit would protect the Southwest from invaders who had constantly constituted threat to the region.

Speaking on the composition of the security outfit, Komolafe said the first phase of the recruitment was to establish an intelligence-based outfit and later accommodate Amotekun ambassadors who would serve as informants of the agency.

According to him, there will be no age limit to those that would make up the ambassadorial category.

Identifying Amotekun as indigenous outfit, Komolafe said: “We want people that can enter the bush and give us native intelligence about criminal hide outs.

“People before us rose and fought invaders, we also want to rise and fight invaders. These invaders came with all forms of impunity, they kill, maim, rape and destroy people’s farm produce.”

Meanwhile, the Oyo State Government on Monday began the process of recruitment into the Amotekun Corps by opening an online application site for those interesting in joining the force launched in January by South-West governors.

The Oyo State Civil Service Commission has, however, not given details on the deadline for applications and the number of persons that will be recruited into the regional security outfit.

Amotekun is being chaired in the state by a former Director of Military Intelligence and former Deputy Director-General of the State Security Service, Gen Ajibola Toogun (retd), and also has as commandant a former Assistant Director, British Military Advisory Training Team, Defence Headquarters, Abuja, Col Olayanju Olayinka (retd).

The online form, which was uploaded on the official website of the state, indicated that the form is free and not for sale.

The form contains three pages, with each page standing for different information generation. The first page requests for bio-data of each applicant, while the other two pages are for medical reports and attestations by guarantors respectively.

The first page, which is for bio-data, asks among other things, for special skills or trade, security-related experiences and occupation of the applicants, while the second page asks every applicant to present medical reports on their health status, including hepatitis, random blood sugar, PCV, and vital signs.

The medical reports, according to the form, must be obtained from Oyo State Government hospital, which must carry the signature, date and stamp of the hospital. Also, the medical doctor that administered the tests must also sign that he has found the applicant medically fit for recruitment into the Amotekun Corps.

The third page of the form requests for two guarantors for each of the applicants, who must be their village heads and the lawmakers representing their constituencies in the Oyo State House of Assembly. The two guarantors of each applicant must also attest that they know the applicant and that they have found him, or her suitable for selection for the corps, and they must also attest to the applicant’s conduct and character.

They must also sign on the form that they are the ones recommending the applicant for selection and they should be held liable if the applicant is found wanting in character or other vices. The guarantors must sign and right thumbprint on the form.

The applicants have also been told to print out their slips after filling and submission of the forms online, and they must provide the slips during the screening exercise that would be made known to them.

• Pieced together from reports by The Nation and Daily Sun.