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There are indications that the South West governors will write to the Inspector General of Police(IGP), Mohammed Adamu, to apply for gun license for the Amotekun corps that would be inaugurated soon.
It would be recalled that the South West Attorneys-General during their meeting in Ibadan on Friday came up with the draft will and legal frame work for the operation of Amotekun.
The Ondo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Kola Olawoye, who disclosed this, said after the passage of the draft bill, each state will apply for a gun licence for the Amotekun corps.
He stated that the proposed law was given to the state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, on Saturday, after Friday’s meeting of the Attorneys-General from the six South West states.
He said:“We harmonised the bill and we gave a copy of the bill to the governor yesterday. It will be presented to the state executive council where it will be deliberated upon after which it will be sent to the House of Assembly.”
On the time it would be sent to the legislature, Olawoye said the speaker of the Assembly would get the bill after its approval.
He also explained that the security outfit would be called the Ondo State Security Network Agency, adding “but it would be driven by Amotekun corps. It will be replicated in other South West states.”
It would be recalled that the IGP had warned Amotekun operatives against carrying firearms, saying Oodua Peoples Congress(OPC) members and hunters working as Amotekun operatives could only carry Dane guns, which do not use cartridges.
But Olawoye said: “A section of the bill stipulates that the Amotekun corps will be carrying arms licensed by the Inspector General of Police, in line with the Police Act . Each state will apply for the licence. After the law has been made, we will apply to the IG for the licence for the corps. Each state will have a corps commander, who will be in charge of administration, operational guidelines and other things.
“The agency will have a governing board. The commander will be a member of the board . The commander must be a person of proven integrity, who will be a retired military or police officer of 10 years cognate experience. This is how it will be in other five states. The corps commanders of the states will be meeting if the need be. I am sure the individual state should be able to pass the law before the end of the month.”