Ondo Gov Approves Higher Minimum Wage for Amotekun Operatives

A pay boost is coming for Ondo’s Amotekun: Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has approved a minimum wage for corps operatives that exceeds the ₦73,000 earlier set for state civil servants, according to Commander Akogun Adetunji Adeleye.

Adeleye disclosed this while parading 28 criminal suspects at the Amotekun headquarters in Akure. He added that operatives are covered by the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), and a life insurance policy, benefits he credited with lifting morale.

On operations, Adeleye said Amotekun is working seamlessly with its “mother agencies”—the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Department of State Services (DSS), and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)—to break criminal networks. “We have gone beyond arresting criminals and suspects alone. We are now after their godfathers and backbones. Until we uproot them, there will be no total peace” he said.

He noted that Amotekun’s interventions contributed to an increase of over 500 percent in the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in 2023, and that ongoing joint patrols in Akure North and other areas have secured forests, enabling farmers to return to their fields.

Among the suspects paraded were four alleged kidnappers—Kongi, Kana, Sam, and Daniel (ages 18–27)—arrested in Elegbeka. Others included Abiola (24), accused of rape and fraud; Ogungbemi, arrested for alleged defilement and sexual assault; and Tosin, arrested for assault. Adeleye also said cattle rustled in Igbara-Oke and Ifedore were recovered and returned to owners following the arrest of three suspects: Abubarka, Mubla, and Uma Mohammed (all 20).

Expressing gratitude to Governor Aiyedatiwa, the Ondo State House of Assembly, journalists, and residents for their support, Adeleye described Amotekun as “the most welfare-catered-for security agency in the South-West.”

During an oversight visit, the Chairman of the House Committee on Security, Hon. Olatunji Ifabiyi, commended the corps and pledged legislative backing to strengthen security. “We are working seriously to ensure that the capital punishment law for kidnappers is firmly established in the state… We will continue to collaborate with the executive until we reach that goal,” Ifabiyi stated.