As the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde approaches its final chapter in 2026, a dark cloud hangs over one of its most celebrated achievements. The Oyo State Amotekun Corps, once hailed as a revolutionary shield for the people, is being transformed into a monument of administrative neglect and broken promises.
The Broken Promise: Heroes Without Papers
Five years ago, thousands of citizens answered the call to secure our forests and highways. They were promised a structured, elite security corps. Instead, they have been left in a legal “no man’s land.” After half a decade of risking their lives, these operatives still have:
No Appointment Letters
No Confirmation of Service
No Defined Ranks or Promotion Path
In any other arm of the Oyo State Civil Service, this would be a scandal. How can the Head of Service justify a system where a desk officer receives formal recognition on day one, while a field operative facing armed bandits remains an administrative “ghost” for five years?
The Double Betrayal: Wrongful Dismissal
The most stinging part of this betrayal is the wave of wrongful dismissals. Without appointment letters to protect them, dedicated operatives are being pushed out of the service without due process, without hearings, and without cause.
This is a “Double Betrayal”: the state uses the best years of these men’s lives, denies them formal status, and then discards them like casual labor when it is convenient. You cannot claim to be a “pro-worker” government while presiding over a system that fires its protectors on a whim.
The Demand for Justice and Reinstatement
This is not just an agitation; it is a demand for a moral and legal correction. We call upon His Excellency and the Head of Service to:
Immediately Review all Dismissals: Establish a transparent board to investigate the cases of those wrongfully removed.
Order Instant Reinstatement: Bring back the brave men and women who were dismissed without the protection of the civil service rules they were promised.
Formalize the Corps: Issue the long-overdue letters of appointment and confirmation to every deserving operative.
A Final Test of Legacy
Governor Seyi Makinde faces a defining choice. Will he leave office in December 2026 as the leader who empowered the Amotekun, or as the one who betrayed them?
A legacy built on the sweat and blood of unconfirmed, disposable workers is no legacy at all. The time for excuses is over. The state must honor its debt to the men and women who stood in the gap when Oyo State needed them most. Reinstate the wrongfully dismissed. Formalize the corps. Restore the dignity of the Amotekun.
Torchlight
Team lead Like-mind
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