OPC Will Play Prominent Role in Formation of State Police in S’west -Ogunsanya
The Aare Onakakanfo, Gani Adams led Odua Peoples Congress, OPC, has thrown it weight behind the recently passed State Police Act, 2026 by the Nigeria Senate.
The group promised to partner the Nigeria Police and the six governors in securing the Southwest region against kidnapping, banditry and armed robbery and other criminal activities by donating generously, good numbers of it competence and gallant members into the formation of the State Police.
At a State Working Committee meeting of the group over the weekend, in Akure, Ondo State Coordinator of OPC, Pius Ogunsanya recalled that it National Coordinator, Aare Gani Adams was the brain behind the creation of Amotekun Corp, while he led other local security groups, included the vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN), Agbekoya Group and the local hunters in a security conference he hosted in Lagos, in 2019 prior to the deliberations of the South-west Governors’ Forum and eventual launch of Amotekun Corp in Ibadan, Oyo State in 2020 led by late Rotimi
Akeredolu, CON, the then chairman of the forum.
At a meeting with late Akeredolu few months after the Lagos security conference, the then Senior Special Assistant on Security, Alhaji Jimoh Dojumo said the local security outfits to be launched soon by the governors in the South-West region is code-named “Amotekun”.
“The governors of Ondo, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ekiti and Lagos states have enlisted the service and cooperation of the Aare Onakakanfo, Dr. Gani Abiodun Adams led OPC to coordinate other local groups such as Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN), Agbekoya Group and local hunters to partner and assist the police in securing the Southwest region against kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery and other criminal activities.” Dojumo stated.
The retired police officer further disclosed that “Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu who is the chairman of Southwest Governors’ Forum convened the Southwest Security meeting in Ibadan, Oyo state capital a few weeks ago where it was resolved by the forum to jointly finance a security outfit to tackle the incessant cases of kidnapping, armed banditry, herdsmen attacks and criminals rampaging the region forest reserves.
“It was there that it was first agreed upon that the security outfit must enlist the support and participation of our brothers in OPC under the leadership of the Aare Onakakanfo, Dr. Gani Adams in other to assist the police in it quest to get rid of organized crimes in the grassroots, our forests, our villages, towns, and cities.
“The community policing policy will also include other local security outfits like Vigilante Group of Nigeria and local hunters. I am happy to also inform you that our Governor has already blazed the trail by procuring hundreds of SUV utility vans and over two hundreds and fifty motorbikes for the takeoff of the Amotekun Security outfit.
” l am sure, some of it will be allocated to your group, OPC as operational vehicles among other incentives to assist you in doing the job which you have volunteered to undertake for our people with all loyalty, dedication, and faithfulness, Dojumo concluded.
According to the State Coordinator, “I am delighted in bringing back the bold actions leading to the creation of the Amotekun Corp to refresh the people’s memories of the importance of role and duty took by Iba Gani Adams prior to the establishment of Amotekun Corp in the region.
“Now, with the new State Police Act, it’s naturally right and dutiful for the OPC to be among the stakeholders and frontiers that will pilot the implementation and establishment of the State Police in all the six States of the Southwest region; and the good news is that the Odua People’s Congress, OPC which is the most active and vibrant security organisation in the country, under the leadership of Aare Onakakanfo of Yoruba land, Dr. Gani Abiodun Ige Adams is well positioned to take up this role. “
The state coordinator of the group, Comrade Pius Ogunsanya also noted that the territorial protection of the Southwest region is germane and dear to the heart of Aare Gani Adams, stressing that the group would partner with the Nigeria Police Force, relevant government security agencies, other security organizations, traditional rulers and all the Southwest Governors to protect lives and properties and complement efforts of all security agencies towards community policing in Nigeria.
