The Oyo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun, in collaboration with some hunters in the state, has dislodged two sets of herdsmen from the Opara Forest Reserve and the Oyo State Agricultural Development Programme Forest.
The Chairman of the Amotekun Corps, Gen. Kunle Togun (Retd), on Saturday, in a statement by the Information Officer of Amotekun in Oyo State, Mrs. Ayolola Adedoja, said the herdsmen who stormed the state, claimed they were invited by some traditional rulers.
The Amotekun Chairman commended the hunter group led by one Prophet Ojuawo for the group’s assistance while calling on the people of the state to support them more in ensuring the effectiveness of the corps.
Togun added that the security outfit was open to criticism, noting that such criticism should not be to discourage the corps from its duty of protecting lives and property in the state.
He narrated that, “On December 24, some herdsmen were seen at the Opara Forest Reserve in the Oke Ogun area of Oyo State. The attention of the chairman of the Amotekun corps was called to it and the Amotekun corps swung into action.
“They were able to flush the herdsmen out of the forest reserve around 2am. The Amotekun corps, with the assistance of one Prophet Ojoawo, who is the head of the hunters in the state, with 40 hunters drove out the herdsmen out of the forest reserve and they were escorted out of Saki West to the Orelope Local Government Area of Oyo State.
“The herdsmen were handed over to the Amotekun corps members at Orelope who also led them out of their territory and handed them to their members at Olorunsogo in Igbeti area. The Amotekun corps at Igbeti made sure they were escorted out of the Oyo State boundary.”
The Amotekun boss disclosed that the herdsmen were interrogated and said one traditional ruler from the axis invited them to the state and they were able to produce a letter of invitation by the village head
He said, “Also, another set of the herdsmen were sighted at OYSADEP Forest Reserves. They too produced evidence of invitation by one of the Oyo Obas and they too were also driven out of the forest and of the state boundary.”
The Chairman added that, though the expectation of the public about Amotekun was high, they should be patient as the results of the security outfit would not be sudden.
