–Allegation baseless, malicious –Amotekun

From Lateef Dada, Osogbo

The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) on Friday said the opposition in Osun state are no longer safe with the recruitment of 1,000 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) into the Amotekun Corps.

The APM, in a statement by its state chairman, Hon. Adewale Adebayo, on Saturday, expressed displeasure over the action of the agency, expressing apprehension over the safety of opposition members.

It reads in part: “We are very displeased with recent development in Osun State as the Western Nigeria Security Network codename Amotekun dumped its core creation motive.

“We are disturbed by the protest by the well-meaning Osun State residents who applied but were deliberately screened out by the leadership of Amotekun because they are not members of Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).

“Recruiting over 1,000 PDP members in Osun State is a motive to silence the opposition voices and a way to gag anyone who opposes the action of the government.

“It is so shocking that Amotekun which is a child of necessity could be reduced to a political platform of securing the state.

“The forms that they threw open are just a way to clean the already prepared script to tell the people that it was open meanwhile it is not as the original forms slot were shared among PDP.

“We are demanding that both Corps Commandant and Field Commandant of the outfit should tender an apology to the candidates and entire people of the state. Thereafter, they should resign their positions so that Amotekun will continue to carry the image that the outfit is apolitical.

However, the board chairman of Amotekun Corps, AIG Wale Abass (Rtd), described the allegations as baseless and malicious. He denied the allegations saying only those who had health challenges were sent home and replaced with those who had been shortlisted already.