The Ekiti State Council of Elders has advised South-West governors to urgently engage with the Federal Government on the need for operatives of the State Security Network Agency codenamed Amotekun corps to bear firearms.
The elders noted that the waves of kidnappings, killings and other heinous crimes in the states would only be tackled effectively when the personnel of Amotekun are allowed to carry arms to defend the citizens against attacks from gun-wielding men.
The group in a statement jointly signed by its president, Professor Joseph Oluwasanmi; the Public Relations Officer, Dr Bayo Orire and the General Secretary, Mr Niyi Ajibulu, on Sunday, in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital said the call became necessary following their meeting with the Ekiti Amotekun corps commander, Brig Gen Joe Komolafe (retd).
While expressing worry over the spate of insecurity bedevilling the country, the elders explained that the time had come for the state governors in the region to let the Amotekun be owned by the people most importantly in the area of intelligence gathering.
The group said: “Of more concern is the non-approval of firearms for the organisation in spite of the proliferation of arms across the country and with the ubiquity of bandits that Amotekun will have to contend with.
“Council wishes the Governors to continue to dialogue with the Federal Government so as to properly equip Amotekun, particularly in the area of firearms.
“The Southwest State Governments should realise that Amotekun can only succeed in its tasks if it remains community-owned and community-driven, it is through these that the outfit can be indispensable to other security agencies through intelligence sharing as well as detecting and forestalling crimes.”
They called on the governors to concentrate their resources towards providing needed modern-day policing equipment to Amotekun, rather than expending many funds on the Federal Government-owned security agencies.
“The State Governments (Southwest) that have been the major financiers of Federal Government security agencies in their states should draw a line and concentrate more on providing equipment and gadgets for surveillance for Amotekun over which they have complete control,” the elders advised.
The statement added that people of the state should collaborate with the security agents by providing timely and accurate information on activities of criminal elements in their environment.
