UPDATE: Oyo Assembly passes Amotekun bill

Accompanied by the leopard-like “Grrrrr” sound, the Oyo State Security Network Agency Bill, 2020 for the establishment of Amotekun corps in Oyo State was on Tuesday passed into law by the State House of Assembly.

The bill was passed into law after considering a report presented by Chairman, House Committee on Security and Strategy, Honourable Akeem Obadara, who alongside other lawmakers adorned leopard designed attires.

Amotekun corps, by the law, are allowed to bear licensed arms in performing their duties to include collaborating with security agencies in gathering information about crime, the arrest and prosecution of persons suspected or involved in kidnapping, rape, terrorism, cattle rustling, cultism, highway robbery among other criminal activities.

The Amotekun corps also have the power to undertake day and night patrol on land and water, disarm unauthorised persons in possession of arms and other dangerous weapons, render prompt assistance to crime and accident victims, give a report of suspicious activities and undertake joint operations with the police and other security agencies.

The law approves that the Chairman of the governing board of the agency is a person with at least 10 years experience in security matters and a law enforcement officer not below the rank of lieutenant colonel.

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On enlistment, the law stipulates that non-possession of a formal certificate should not constitute an automatic ban to the enlistment of any person in deserving circumstances.

Also to be set up is an investigative unit of the agency entrusted with internal supervision of the workings and operations of the agency to ensure probity.

Furthermore, the law recognised the need for the agency to operate using seven zones thus Ibadan city, Ibadan less city, Oyo, Ogbomoso, Ibarapa, Oke-Ogun 1 and Oke-Ogun 2.

As contained in the law, anyone who willfully hinders, delays, obstructs or assaults a member of the Oyo state Amotekun corps in the course of the duties shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of one month or to a fine.

Also, the law provides that any member of the board, the staff of the agency or member of the Amotekun corps is excluded from liability or being sued in his or her personal capacity, but only the Agency can be sued.

The bill prescribes the setting up of a governing board to approve programmes of training for members of the Agency and empowered to remove the name of an Amotekun corps member found unfit to discharge their functions by reason of infirmity or misconduct.

The Amotekun corps shall be composed of members of registered vigilante groups, statutory security agencies.
To be enlisted with the Amotekun corps, the person is expected to apply in writing, receive confirmation from the divisional police officer in his local government area and be endorsed by Chairman of his local government area.

Addressing journalists after plenary, Speaker of the Assembly, Honourable Adebo Ogundoyin, avowed that with the passage of the bill into law, the Amotekun corps will begin to operate in the next few weeks.

Ogundoyin added that the law marked the beginning of comprehensive security for Oyo state and the South West, at large.

The Oyo State Security Network Agency is expected to work with similar network agency in the other South Western states of Ekiti, Ondo, Lagos, Osun and Ogun.