A former Deputy Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS), Brigadier General Kunle Toogun (retd.), has criticised the security strategy of the Oyo State Security Network Agency, popularly known as Amotekun, saying its operatives should focus on active patrols rather than stationing vehicles at fixed locations.
Toogun, a former Chairman of the Oyo State Amotekun Corps, made the remarks while discussing measures to tackle insecurity and kidnapping across the South-West region.
According to the retired military intelligence officer, he had previously provided detailed recommendations on security operations, including locations that required patrols and areas that needed round-the-clock security presence, but his advice was not implemented.
“I gave them all the places they needed to patrol, all the places they needed 12-hour guards, and all the places they were supposed to station 24-hour guards. I gave them everything,” he said.
The retired brigadier-general argued that simply purchasing security vehicles does not translate into effective security, warning that parked vehicles could themselves become targets for criminal elements.
<span;>He stressed the need for intelligence gathering and the deployment of modern technology to identify criminal hideouts and support military operations.
“Security officials need modern technology to determine precise locations and know where to strike. You catch criminals by surprise, and surprise is a principle of war,” he stated.
Toogun also questioned the effectiveness of roadside deployment of Amotekun vehicles, asking, “While travelling to Lagos, you must have seen Amotekun vehicles parked by the roadside. Is that patrol?”
The former intelligence chief further accused South-West governors of prioritising politics over security, claiming that the late former Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, was the only governor in the region who demonstrated genuine commitment to addressing security challenges.
According to him, retired military officers of Yoruba extraction had earlier conducted a comprehensive security threat analysis for the South-West and submitted recommendations to regional leaders through Akeredolu, who was then Chairman of the South-West Governors’ Forum.
He lamented that despite subsequent efforts to engage other governors, including Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and the current Chairman of the South-West Governors’ Forum, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the recommendations have not been fully implemented.
Toogun maintained that state governors, as chief security officers of their states, should take greater responsibility for addressing insecurity, insisting that adequate attention has not been given to security despite the allocation of security votes.
“They are collecting security votes. They are the number one security officers in their states. How can they be overwhelmed?” he queried.
His comments come amid growing concerns over kidnapping, banditry and other security challenges in parts of the South-West region.
