Counsel to an aggrieved officer of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, Amotekun Corps, Mr. Tope Temokun, has accused the leadership of the Corps of persecuting one of its operatives, Officer Ekujumi Julius, for speaking out on welfare concerns.
Temokun in a statement issued and made available to Starnews NG on Wednesday, said Julius had sought his legal intervention following a press release by the Corps which attempted to discredit him after he demanded proper appointment letters for operatives.
He explained that his chambers had earlier petitioned the Ondo State House of Assembly, the Amotekun Commandant, labour unions in the state and the Attorney General, calling for an independent investigation into the conditions of service of the operatives.
According to him, instead of addressing the complaints, the Corps insisted there was no officer raising concerns.
He noted that on September 11, the Commandant mobilised senior officers to the House of Assembly to publicly declare that they did not require appointment letters, while on September 15, the Commissioner for Information, in a radio interview, described the petitions as “an allegation written by an individual.”
Temokun stated that Julius’ decision to come forward publicly vindicated earlier petitions but led to a smear campaign against him, including allegations of murder and drug involvement.
He said this amounted to an attempt to silence him and discourage others from speaking.
He dismissed the Corps’ claim that operatives did not demand appointment letters, noting that video evidence showed otherwise.
He stressed that appointment letters were a basic condition of service and keeping men and women in uniform without such documentation amounted to casualisation.
On the Corps’ position that many operatives were above 60 years of age and therefore outside civil service regulations, Temokun said this indicated that the government was operating a paramilitary structure outside labour laws, exposing personnel to insecurity of tenure.
While acknowledging the operational contributions of Amotekun in the fight against crime, the lawyer said welfare and accountability must accompany efficiency.
He added that officers had repeatedly complained of lack of job security, absence of appointment letters and poor welfare.
He called on the state government and House of Assembly to institute an independent probe into the service conditions of Amotekun operatives and protect whistleblowers.
He also urged civil society and human rights groups to show interest in the plight of the operatives.
“Amotekun was founded on the spirit of community trust and sacrifice. That trust will be eroded if the Corps denies its workers’ dignity while parading achievements bought with their sweat and blood. The demand for appointment letters, job security and fair welfare is just, lawful and non-negotiable,” Temokun said.
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