Akeredolu Signs First Amendment to Amotekun Law

Fidelis David in Akure

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

Akeredolu, who assented to the bill yesterday, noted that the new amendment has become imperative in light of the heightened insecurity across the state.

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

This signing of the amendment came two weeks after the State House of Assembly has passed the bill that amended the Ondo State Security Network Agency and Amotekun Corps Law 2022.

The lawmakers also passed a bill for a law that would establish the Ondo State Security Trust Fund and other.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Security, Mr. Ololade Gbegudu, said that Sections 4, 5, 6, 14, 16 and 18 of the principal law were amended.

Gbegudu said that 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 State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, 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 to raise the number of fatalities to 41 while 17 persons were still being hospitalised.

Ademola-Olateju, who commiserated with the bereaved families and prayed for speedy recovery of those still in the hospital, restated the commitment of the state government to have a memorial site built in honour of all the victims.

Also at the briefing, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Mr. Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, appreciated Governor Akeredolu for assenting to the amendment to the law that established the Ondo State Security Network Agency (OSSNA), codenamed Amotekun.

Adeleye assured that the development would scale up the operational capacities of the state security outfit.

He also used the occasion to announce the procurement of newly acquired operational vehicles that would be distributed to all security operatives in the state, including the Nigerian Police, Nigerian Army, Directorate of State Security and Amotekun Corps to fortify their performance.