A human rights lawyer, Tope Temokun, has called on the Ondo State Government to immediately suspend the 5th Batch Recruitment (BR05) of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, Amotekun Corps, scheduled for December 1–8, 2025, over alleged personnel rights abuses and unresolved administrative irregularities within the agency.
In a strongly worded statement released on Saturday, Temokun said the Corps should not proceed with new recruitment while existing operatives continue to face injustice, lack of formal employment documentation, and what he described as “administrative decay.”
He noted that since Amotekun’s establishment in 2020, many operatives have risked their lives securing forests, highways, and communities across the state, yet a significant number reportedly serve without appointment letters or any official record of engagement.
According to him, the Corps’ claim that its paramilitary status exempts it from issuing appointment letters is “false, misleading, and an insult” to the people of Ondo State whose taxes fund the agency.
“Amotekun is not a voluntary paramilitary club. It is not Boys’ Brigade. It is not Boy Scouts. It is a statutory security agency, created by law, funded by public money, empowered to arrest, detain, and collaborate with formal law enforcement,” he said.
Temokun added that as a creature of law established by an Act of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Amotekun is obligated to operate with proper administrative procedures, employment records, and full respect for the rights of its personnel.
He further raised concerns over the alleged maltreatment of three operatives who reportedly questioned the irregularities. Instead of addressing the issues, he said the officers were suspended and declared “wanted,” forcing them into hiding and leaving their families distressed.
The lawyer also highlighted allegations of ghost workers, payroll discrepancies, and incomplete personnel records — issues he said have never been transparently audited or officially addressed.
“You cannot secure a state while destabilizing your own personnel,” he warned. “Announcing new recruitment in the midst of these unresolved questions risks worsening administrative decay rather than resolving it.”
Temokun argued that for Amotekun to effectively address rising cases of banditry, terrorism, and criminal activities across the state, the Corps must first strengthen its internal systems and ensure justice and accountability for those already serving.
He therefore urged the Ondo State Government to halt the proposed recruitment until a full audit, administrative review, and personnel regularization are carried out.
“A security agency without internal justice cannot deliver public justice. Expansion without reform is a recipe for deeper insecurity,” he noted. “Before Amotekun can recruit new defenders of the state, it must first defend the rights of those already serving.”
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