By Duchess Ifeoluwa
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State on Wednesday declared that security remains the fulcrum upon which sustainable development rests, insisting that no society can prosper in an atmosphere of fear or thrive where lives and property are unsafe.
The governor spoke at the passing-out parade of Batch 05 (BR05) of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, popularly known as Amotekun Corps, held at the historic parade ground of the Ondo State House of Assembly Arcade Complex in Akure, where 500 newly recruited operatives were formally inducted into service.
Describing the ceremony as symbolic, strategic and historic, Aiyedatiwa said the event marked a decisive moment in consolidating the state’s security architecture.
He cautioned that no government could legitimately claim success if it failed in its primary responsibility of protecting its people, assuring residents that his administration would continue to prioritise the safety of lives and property as a precondition for economic growth and social stability.
The governor recalled the vision of his late predecessor, Rotimi Akeredolu, whom he described as “Amotekun 001”, noting that the security outfit had continued to evolve as a community-rooted, intelligence-driven and constitutionally aligned institution designed to complement federal security agencies while responding swiftly to local realities without compromising the Omoluabi ethos.
According to him, the induction of BR05 represents not merely an addition in numbers but an upgrade in operational capacity and doctrine, reinforcing the collective resolve to secure every part of the state, from forests and farms to highways and homes.
He said the recruits underwent deliberate, comprehensive and uncompromising training covering physical conditioning and endurance drills, tactical field operations, patrol management, grassroots intelligence gathering, inter-agency cooperation, civil-military relations, rules of engagement, use-of-force principles, human rights, civic responsibility, ethics and discipline.
Aiyedatiwa reminded the operatives that they were entrusted with the authority of the state to act under its laws, describing the responsibility as solemn and sacred.
He charged them to discharge their duties with integrity, strict adherence to the Constitution and unwavering respect for the rule of law, stressing that they were not above the law but agents of it.
Courage, he said, must be tempered with compassion, firmness balanced with fairness and vigilance exercised without intimidation or lawlessness.
Reaffirming his administration’s commitment to the corps, the governor pledged continued investment in logistics, equipment, intelligence coordination and regular training, alongside improved welfare packages to enhance morale and operational efficiency.
He noted that farmers, traders, commuters, students and families across the state were counting on Amotekun to guarantee a safe environment for daily activities.
In his welcome address, the Corps Commander, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, cautioned the new operatives that they were agents of the law and not above it.
He explained that Amotekun was deliberately structured as a legal and community-rooted outfit to bridge local security gaps, support conventional forces and respond to threats peculiar to the state’s terrain.
Adeleye emphasised that the corps was not created to rival existing security agencies but to work in synergy with the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Police, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and other sister agencies.
He observed that modern security challenges had become complex and asymmetrical, ranging from kidnapping and banditry to communal clashes and criminal infiltration of rural communities.
He warned that any act of indiscipline, corruption, abuse of power or collaboration with criminal elements would attract decisive sanctions, adding that the image of the corps would be judged daily by the conduct of its personnel in villages, highways, forests and farmsteads.
Dignitaries at the ceremony included members of the State Executive Council and the House of Assembly, heads of security agencies, traditional rulers, religious leaders, local government chairmen and other top government functionaries.
