The Corps Commandant of Amotekun in Ekiti State, retired Brigadier General Joe Komolafe, says ancient and modern security techniques would be deployed to tackle crime in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Amotekun is the security outfit initiated by the six states in the South West zone to tackle crime in the region.
Komolafe spoke at Efon Alaaye during a sensitisation tour to the three council areas of Ekiti West, Efon Alaaye and Ijero.
He said the neglect of culture was responsible for the rising crime wave and urged traditional rulers to deploy their traditional powers to secure lives and properties.
Describing Amotekun as a force of liberation, Komolafe said the security outfit would protect the people of the zone from criminals.
He also said the first phase in the recruitment exercise was aimed at establishing an intelligence-based outfit.
“We want people that can enter the bush and give us native intelligence about criminal hide outs,” he said.
Earlier, the Chairman of Amotekun Board in Ekiti State, Akin Aregbesola, had explained that the tour was to meet with the traditional rulers on the critical roles they had to play in recommending applicants into the outfit.
Aregbesola said application by indigenes into the security outfit was open to all within the age range of 18 to 60 irrespective of religion.
The chairman stressed that Amotekun was not conceived as an empowerment programme, but a call to service.
He further disclosed that the application deadline had been extended to Saturday to allow applicants enough time to go through the process.
The Alaaye of Efon Kingdom, Oba Emmanuel Aladejare, said traditional rulers in the axis were in total support of the recruitment process.
Also, the Olojudo of Ido Ile Ekiti, Oba Adeyemi Obaleye, assured the board of support to the security outfit.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Ijero Local Government, Ropo Ige, who volunteered to serve in the Corps, has expressed the readiness of local government chairmen in the state to support the outfit.
Ice said: The traditional institution should rise up and support Amotekun to guarantee security of lives and properties in their domains.
“I want to assure you and on behalf of other local government chairmen that we are going to support Amotekun to achieve success in the task of securing lives and properties of the people of the state.”
