‘Oyo Amotekun now stronger with 480 forest rangers’ – Governor Makinde

By Adejayan Gbenga –

Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, on Friday said the state has recruited 480 forest rangers into the Oyo State Amotekun Corps as part of efforts to strengthen security.

Makinde made this known while presenting the State of the State Address at the House of Assembly in Ibadan.

He noted that the inclusion of the rangers has increased the total number of Amotekun Corps members in the state to 2,500.

“In October last year, we added 480 forest rangers to the Oyo State Amotekun Corps, bringing the total number of corps members to 2,500. We still have the highest number and best-remunerated corps members in South-West Nigeria,” he said.

The governor explained that the forest rangers are specially trained to operate in forests, protect farmers, deter illegal logging, and safeguard economic resources in rural communities.

Makinde emphasized that the state’s security model is based on community collaboration, cultural intelligence, and proactive deployment — a strategy he said is already yielding results.

He added that the government has continued to support federal security agencies with logistics and equipment to ease their operations.

“In the past year, we provided over 50 additional operational vehicles fully equipped with communication gadgets,” Makinde said.