Adegboyega Oyetola, governor of Osun, says he believes operatives of the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun, should carry arms.
Oyetola, who is contesting for a second term as governor, said this on Wednesday at a debate organised by ARISE Television and EiE Nigeria, ahead of the July 16 governorship election in Osun.
In January 2021, south-west governors launched Amotekun as a regional outfit to tackle challenges of insecurity, and there have been varied reactions over if the security outfit should be allowed to carry arms.
Speaking during the debate, Oyetola said Amotekun is doing well in the state, adding that not less than 400 people have been recruited, well kitted and given the necessary tools to work as part of the network.
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“The challenge is that they are not carrying arms. In terms of knowing the terrain, particularly the question of kidnapping, they are very effective,” he said.
“What we’ve done is to allow them to integrate with the hunters. Most of these conventional police or security agencies don’t know the terrains, so when Amotekun and the hunters combine together, they are able to provide additional security.”
When asked if he thinks Amotekun should bear arms, he said “I believe so; they should.”
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On whether Amotekun is being deployed for political purposes, Oyetola said “to the best of my knowledge, Amotekun is deployed to take care of the security of our people, particularly in the area of kidnapping”.
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