…say ‘it has no special status’
Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Kenneth Ebrimson, has warned the people Ogun State not to overrate the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Operation Amotekun.
Ebrimson said Amotekun, which has no special status, would not be operating as a force in the state.
The police commissioner spoke on an interactive programme on Splash 106.7 FM, a private radio station in Abeokuta.
While answering questions on the establishment of Amotekun in the state, the police commissioner said that the people of the state should not be worried over the security network.
He assured that Amotekun will have the same status like other voluntary security outfits such as vigilance groups, among others.
Ebrimson said, “Amotekun is just an organisation coming to assist in policing, the same way vigilance groups and the same way So-safe Corps are doing. And if they come on board, certainly, they will operate under the supervision of the police. I think people are getting misguided about Amotekun, Amotekun is not a force. Amotekun is an aspect of maybe vigilante to partner with other agencies in the state to provide the desired security.”
He added that plans are on top gear to engage community policing practitioners at the rural and the community levels.
“Amotekun is nothing too special. It is just a complement like the Civil Defence, like the vigilante group, like the hunters, everybody is coming on board to see how they can assist the society,” he said.