Get Guardian on GoogleGovernor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has reiterated that security is the cornerstone of sustainable development, stressing that no society can progress under fear and uncertainty.
He made this assertion during the passing-out parade of Batch 05 (BR05) of the Ondo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun Corps) at Gani Fawehinmi Arcade, Akure, the state capital.
Describing the ceremony as symbolic, strategic, and historic, Governor Aiyedatiwa noted that the security outfit, conceptualised by his late predecessor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, remains central to safeguarding lives, property, and socio-economic development in the state.
“The newly recruited operatives are disciplined, well-trained, and ideologically reoriented individuals who have voluntarily offered themselves in service to the peace, stability, and collective security of Ondo State,” the governor said.
Congratulating the recruits for completing a rigorous training programme, Aiyedatiwa remarked, “They arrived as civilians but depart today as guardians of the homeland, ambassadors of lawful authority, and custodians of community trust.”
He outlined the comprehensive training programme, which included physical conditioning and endurance, tactical field operations and patrol management, grassroots intelligence gathering, inter-agency cooperation, civil-military relations, rules of engagement, human rights, ethics, discipline, and the Omoluabi values that define the people of Ondo.
Speaking at the event, Commander of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, Adetunji Adeleye, reminded the operatives that they are agents of the law, not above it.
“Amotekun is a legal, community-rooted, and intelligence-driven security outfit, created to close local security gaps, support conventional forces, and respond swiftly to threats unique to our terrain and communities,” he said.
Adeleye cautioned that operatives’ responsibility extends beyond physical presence to include alertness, restraint, integrity, confidentiality, and loyalty to the state and its people. Any act of indiscipline, corruption, abuse of power, or collusion with criminal elements will attract decisive sanctions.
“This training was structured to produce disciplined operatives, not militants; professional responders, not aggressors; and community protectors, not oppressors,” he added, emphasising that the corps’ reputation will be judged daily by their conduct across villages, highways, forests, and farmsteads.
The induction of 500 new operatives reinforces Ondo State’s commitment to proactive, intelligence-led, and community-focused security.
