Ogun, Ekiti excos approve Amotekun bill proposal

Ogun and Ekiti state executive councils have approved the proposals for the creation of Amotekun corps in the states.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Ekiti State Governor, Yinka Oyebode said the state’s exco at its sitting on Wednesday approved the bill, paving way for it to be transmitted to the state House of Assembly.

“Exco members considered it and felt Amotekun was a proper thing to do. It has been approved, the next point now is that it goes to the House of Assembly,” Oyebode said.

Also in Ogun, the approval was given at the State Executive Council meeting held at the Executive Chamber of the Governor’s Office, Oke Mosan secretariat, Abeokuta.

The Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, Kunle Somorin, stated this in a statement on Wednesday.

Somorin said the approval was given during the Exco meeting held on Tuesday which lasted for 10 hours.

The statement read that the commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of the state, Mr Adegbolahan Adeniran,  briefed newsmen at the end of the executive council meeting, Adeniran said the presentation of the bill before the state council followed the earlier approval by the attorney generals and commissioners for justice of the six South-West states.

Adeniran assured the people that the state Amotekun Corp would be headed by a state commandant, adding that the bill also allows for collaborative efforts between the six South-West states should the need arise.

He expressed optimism that the bill would get speedy attention from the state lawmakers so that the governor could also give the required assent in no long time.

Adeniran said, “We presented the bill for the creation of the Ogun State Security Network Agency or what many call the Amotekun Corp Bill of 2020.

“Today, the Executive Council of Ogun State met and adopted a draft as amended of a bill for a law to establish the Ogun State Security Network Agency. This agency is the agency that will comprise of the Amotekun Corp and this bill will be transmitted to the House of Assembly before the end of this week.

“It made all the Attorneys General of the South-West zone including Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo and Lagos state to come together with the intervention of DAWN Commission that has been piloting the process, and we are able to have a draft model bill to be adopted by each of the states in accordance with their local circumstances and situations as the need arises.”

Meanwhile, serving law enforcement officers like the police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps will be allowed to join the Amotekun corps.

Members of registered vigilante groups will also be allowed to join the proposed South-West agency.

This is according to the Ekiti State Security Network Agency Bill 2020 which has been submitted to the Ekiti State House of Assembly.

Other South-West governors have submitted similar bills to their respective houses of assembly

Section 20 of the bill reads in part, “The Ekiti State Amotekun Corps may be composed of persons qualified under Section 19 of this law who are members of: registered vigilante groups operating within the state; statutory security agencies operating within the state; and any other person qualified under the provisions of this law.”

The bill further states that persons seeking to join the Amotekun corps must get a letter of recommendation from the Divisional Police Officer or local government chairman of their area of residence.

The person may also get a letter of endorsement from a traditional ruler in his community.

Section 19 of the bill states in part, “A person may qualify to enlist with the Amotekun Corps, if the person has applied in writing to the agency; has received confirmation from the Divisional Police Officer in his local government area of residence that he/she is of proven character and integrity and has no criminal records; or has been endorsed by the chairman of his/her local government area of residence or the traditional ruler of the community where such a person resides.”

The bill also provides for the establishment of a complaints board which will try errant officers.

Section 25 reads in part, “There is established an independent Amotekun Corps Complaints Board composed of three members, one of whom shall be the chairman, to be appointed by the governor acting on the advice of the Attorney-General.”