Tolulope Arotile For Burial July 23 in Abuja

The Oyo State Government has cautioned opposition politicians against politicising the recent kidnapping incident in Oriire Local Government Area, insisting that misleading narratives about the state security outfit, Amotekun Corps, are unhelpful to ongoing efforts to tackle insecurity. The Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, made the appeal in a statement issued on Thursday, saying Governor Seyi Makinde's recent disclosure that about 200 operatives of the Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun Corps) had died since the organisation's establishment six years ago was being deliberately misrepresented. According to Oyelade, some opposition elements had wrongly linked the figure to the recent abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire, thereby creating a false impression that the casualties occurred during the incident. He described the interpretation as "cheap politics," stressing that no Amotekun operative lost his life in connection with the Oriire kidnapping. "For the opposition to turn the statistics on its head is nothing but cheap politics. Amotekun has not lost a single operative in the Oriire kidnapping incident. The only casualty recorded was a personnel who sustained injuries and is currently recuperating," he stated. The commissioner explained that the 200 deaths recorded since the creation of the corps in 2020 resulted from various causes, including illnesses, natural causes and fatalities sustained during security operations. He added that due procedures were followed in all cases, including notification of the families of deceased personnel. Oyelade maintained that the Oyo State Amotekun Corps remains the most funded and best-equipped security outfit in the South-West, noting that it currently operates 181 vehicles and 450 motorcycles, with a workforce of more than 2,500 personnel. He said the corps is the largest Amotekun formation in the region and one of the best remunerated. The commissioner further recalled that Governor Makinde had consistently advocated state policing and the deployment of superior weapons to security agencies since 2021 to enable them effectively confront bandits and kidnappers. According to him, the governor's repeated calls have received little attention despite the growing security challenges across the country. Oyelade urged political actors to approach the security situation from a non-partisan perspective and avoid statements capable of undermining rescue efforts or endangering lives. He also appealed to residents of the state to continue supporting the government and security agencies in their efforts to maintain peace and security across Oyo State.

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the governor noted that it has been 27 days since the students and teachers were forcefully taken from their schools, leaving families and communities in anguish and uncertainty