The Western Nigeria Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun Corps, in Ondo State has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to grant its operatives the approval to carry sophisticated weapons in the discharge of its duties to fight crime and strengthen security in the state.
Making the appeal, the Commander of Amotekun Corps in the state, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye who doubles as the Special Adviser to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on Security Matters, appealed to all relevant federal authorities to grant the licence.
He made the appeal while speaking in his office with Online Media Professionals, OMP, in the state.
According to him, Amotekun operatives have been well-trained since its formation three years ago to properly handle sophisticated arms to tackle criminality in the state.
On how he would persuade the Federal Government to allow Amotekun corps officers to carry sophisticated weapons, he said:
“The Ondo State Security Agency, Amotekun Corps was set up to help the mother security organisations, no doubt, there is inadequacy of equipment, that is one of the major things that hamper our operations.
“We have a very good synergy with all the security agencies in Ondo State, like the Army, Police, Civil Defence, DSS, (Amotekun) as an agency that came to being as a necessity, our major role is to assist the mother security agencies, I want to say that we have been able to achieve much.
“We want to appeal to relevant authorities to give us opportunity, having been tested, over three years now, our men have been adequately trained.
“We can assure the general pupulace that, sophisticated equipment like the ones the enemies carry would definitely enhance our operations.
“We would appeal to the federal agencies to input us into the legislation, we should be allowed to carry sophisticated weapons, it is our sincere belief that going forward it would increase the level of cooperate security in the South West.”
Reeling out the achievements of the corps,the Commander said, “When we came on board about three years ago, it was virtually impossible for people to go to farms, without being kidnaped or molested, across the state, to transact business in banks became dangerous, one was no longer safe then.
“We started with mass public enlightenment, to farmers and herders, we also carried our campaign to security agencies in the state, calling for their support, and also to remove any form of misconception of somebody coming to take their job,like. What we do is to compliment their efforts.
“We did enforcement, and received like 5,000 petitions against herders, we are able to carry the leadership of Miyetti Allah (herders group) in the state and in the Southwest along, we explained to them how they have the right to do their business as Nigerians and how farmers also have the right to farm their lands, and they should be able to relate peacefully.
“After we had commenced the assessment, we made them to compensate the farmers whose crops were destroyed, we are able to put things in place.
“For now, more than 95 percent of the issues of headers destroying farms crops have been resolved, not that we don’t see clashes once in a while but it is unlike befor.”
