A member of the Ondo State House of Assembly representing Odigbo Constituency I, Olatunji Ifabiyi, has called on the federal government to permit operatives of the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun Corps, to bear sophisticated weapons in tackling rising insecurity.
Ifabiyi made the appeal on Monday, stressing that the effectiveness of the Corps is being undermined by its reliance on outdated arms.He argued that Amotekun personnel, despite their deep knowledge of local terrain, require modern weapons and security equipment to confront heavily armed criminal elements.
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According to the lawmaker, granting the Corps access to advanced weaponry would significantly reduce insecurity, particularly across the South-West region.
“If the Federal Government permits Amotekun to operate with sophisticated weapons, insecurity, especially across the South-West, will be reduced to the barest minimum,” he said.“Our efforts in supporting the fight against criminality in the state is not limited to Amotekun, but cuts across all security agencies.
We have met with heads of security agencies in the state and have shown our readiness to assist them in whatever capacity within our constitutional power.
On Amotekun, there was no bill in strengthening the Corps that was not given speedy passage.
“We’re pleading with the federal government to allow them to bear sophisticated weapons in carrying out their duties. They cannot continue to bear old weapons while fighting enemies with lethal weapons and AK-47; we should not deceive ourselves,” he said.
The lawmaker also commended the federal government’s plan to establish Forest Guards, noting that the initiative, when fully implemented, would help dislodge criminal elements operating within forest reserves across the country.
He expressed optimism that enhanced collaboration between federal and state-backed security outfits would improve overall security architecture.
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