Ondo Amotekun Officers Decry Four Years of Service Without Formal Appointment 

Nearly four years after their recruitment, operatives of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, better known as Amotekun Corps, have petitioned the State House of Assembly over the government’s refusal to issue them appointment letters.

The officers, who have been on the frontline of community security since 2020, said the situation leaves them exposed to job insecurity despite the high-risk nature of their work.

Through a petition filed by their lawyer, human rights activist Tope Temokun, the operatives described their condition as “pathetic,” especially when compared with their counterparts in other South-West states who already enjoy formalised employment status.

“Our clients have been in the continuous service of Ondo State under the Amotekun Corps since the establishment of the Agency by law in 2020. They have discharged their duties faithfully and at great personal risk in defence of lives and property across the State.

Regrettably, from inception till date, no letter of appointments has been issued to the officers of the Corps in Ondo State, despite the fact that their counterparts in other States of the South-West region, where Amotekun operates, have been duly issued appointment letters,” the petition stated.

According to Temokun, the operatives were only issued warrant cards, which serve as identification for field duties but do not establish terms of service, salaries, or pension rights.

He warned that such practice amounts to casualisation.

“Without appointment letters, officers can be dismissed at will, without due process. This is the hallmark of casualisation — keeping workers in a perpetual state of insecurity. By issuing only warrant cards, Ondo State treats full-time Amotekun officers as though they are casual or ad hoc workers, despite them performing permanent, life-threatening duties,” he explained.

The petition argued that denying Ondo operatives formal employment while their colleagues in Oyo, Ekiti, Osun, and Ogun States have appointment letters is discriminatory and contrary to Section 42 of the Constitution, the Labour Act, and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights.

Temokun further urged lawmakers to probe the agency’s payroll records to prevent ghost workers and economic losses to the state.

He also called for the immediate issuance of appointment letters that recognise years already served for pension, gratuity, and seniority purposes.

“These officers are committed to the security of Ondo State and have demonstrated this through years of service. What they now seek is fairness, dignity, and the legal recognition of their status as employees of the state,” the petition concluded.

The petition was copied to the State Attorney-General, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and key House committees, including Human Capital Development and Welfare.