South-west governors to donate 100 patrol vehicles to regional security outfit

Governors of states in the south-west will donate 100 patrol vehicles to a proposed joint security outfit for the region.

In a statement issued on Monday, Dapo Abiodun, governor of Ogun state, said each of the six states in the region will donate 20 vehicles, communication gadgets and personnel for the security outfit named Amotekun.

In July, the governors of Ondo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Lagos and Oyo set up the joint task force to contain the security threats in the region.

In August, the office of the national security adviser (NSA) granted approval for the outfit.

Speaking during a fundraiser organised by the state security trust fund board on Sunday, the governor said the security agencies in the state do not have adequate equipment to curb insecurity.

“In conjunction with the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria Commission, the five South-West states have agreed to set up a joint patrol team that will be called Amotekun,” he said.

“Each of the state is required to donate at least 20 patrol vehicles, communication equipment and personnel to the task force. The personnel will be recruited from the police, army, vigilance groups and hunters.

“It is shameful that our security agencies do not have a communication system or equipment within the state, meaning that the Commissioner of Police cannot speak with his counterpart in the military, Department of State Services or worse still, he cannot speak with his Area commander, Divisional Police Officers of police stations across the state.

“Their vehicles are not functioning very well; no tracking devices, no enough finance; so, we are looking at correcting those anomalies with our security trust fund.”