Makinde Ignored My Security Blueprint”  — Ex-SSS Chief Faults Amotekun Operations

A former Deputy Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS), Brigadier-General Kunle Togun (retd.), has accused Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde of failing to implement critical security recommendations he provided to strengthen the operations of the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun.

Togun, who previously served as Chairman of the Oyo State Amotekun Corps, said he developed a comprehensive security blueprint identifying flashpoints that required constant surveillance and strategic deployment of personnel.

According to him, the recommendations were largely ignored, leaving the region vulnerable to rising insecurity and kidnapping activities.

“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 military intelligence officer criticized the practice of parking Amotekun vehicles along major highways, describing it as ineffective security management. He argued that visible vehicle deployments without active patrols do little to deter criminals and could even expose operatives to attacks.

“Buying vehicles is not security. When you travel, you see Amotekun vehicles parked by the roadside. Is that patrol?” he asked.

Togun stressed the need for intelligence-driven operations supported by modern surveillance technology to identify criminal hideouts and enable security agencies to strike with precision. He noted that surprise remains a key principle in combating criminal elements.

The former security chief also accused South-West governors of neglecting security issues in favour of political interests. He singled out the late Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, as the only regional leader who demonstrated genuine commitment to tackling insecurity.

According to Togun, retired military officers had prepared detailed security analyses and recommendations for the South-West, but successive political leaders failed to act decisively on them.