Akeredolu Signs First Amendment to Amotekun Law 

• Another Owo attack victim dies in hospital

Fidelis David in Akure

Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), has signed into law the first amendment to the Ondo State Security Network Agency Law.

The governor, who assented to the bill on Wednesday, noted that the new amendment became imperative in light of the heightened insecurity across the state.

He assured the residents of the state that the amended law will enhance the security architecture of the state and help the Amotekun Corps to perform better. 

The signing of the amendment comes two weeks after the state House of Assembly passed a bill to amend the Ondo State Security Network Agency and Amotekun Corps Law 2022.

The lawmakers unanimously also passed a bill for a law to provide for the establishment of the Ondo State Security Trust Fund and Others.

The Chairman, House Committee on Security, Mr Ololade Gbegudu, submitted the report for consideration and approval and after a thorough scrutiny by its committee, it subsequently scaled the third reading at plenary. 

Gbegudu had said that sections 4, 5, 6, 14, 16 and 18 of the principal law were amended.

Gbegudu said the bills would provide funds for special equipment, training and retraining of Amotekun personnel, as well as foster an effective and enduring public private partnership for crime prevention and eradication in Ondo State.

He added that it would provide for joint border patrols with neighbouring states under the leadership of the Amotekun State Commanders.

Similarly, the new Commissioner for Information and Orientation in the state, Mrs Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, regretted that one more death has been recorded as a result of the June 5 terror attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo.

She said the number of fatalities is now 41, while 17 persons were still being hospitalised.

While commiserating with the bereaved families and praying for the speedy recovery of those still in the hospital, the commissioner restated the commitment of the state government to having a memorial site built in honour of all the victims.

Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, appreciated Governor Akeredolu for assenting to the amendment to the law, which established the Ondo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun.

He stated that the development will scale up the operational capacities of the state security outfit.

He used the occasion to announce the procurement of newly acquired operational vehicles to be distributed to all security operatives in the state including the police, Nigerian Army, Directorate of State Services and Amotekun Corps to fortify the performances of the security agencies in the state.