Laide Raheem, Abeokuta

The Ogun State government has approved the proposal for the creation of the Ogun State Security Network Agency, tagged the ‘Amotekun Bill’.

The approval was given at the State Executive Council meeting held on Tuesday after an extensive deliberation which lasted close 10 hours and presided over by Governor Dapo Abiodun.

Addressing reporters at the end of the Executive Council meeting, the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of the State, Mr Adegbolahan Adeniran, said the presentation of the bill before the state council followed the earlier approval by the Attorney Generals and Commissioners of Justice of the six southwest states.

Adeniran assured that the ‘Amotekun Corp’ will be headed by a State Commandant, adding that the bill will also allow for collaborative efforts between the six southwest states.

He, however, expressed optimism that the bill will get speedy attention from the state lawmakers so that the governor can also give the required assent in no long time.

“We presented the bill for the creation of the Ogun State Security Network Agency or what many call the Amotekun Corp Bill of 2020.

“Today, the Executive Council of Ogun State met and adopted a draft as amended of a bill for a law to establish the Ogun State Security Network Agency. This agency is the agency that will comprise of the Amotekun Corp and this bill will be transmitted to the House of Assembly before the end of this week.

“The Amotekun Security outfit had already been launched by the governors of the southwestern states. However, it became very clear that there was a need for legal backing for these operations.

“This made all the Attorneys General of the southwest zone including Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo and Lagos state to come together with the intervention of DAWN Commission that has been piloting the process, and we are able to have a draft model bill to be adopted by each of the states in accordance with their local circumstances and situations as the need arises,” Adeniran stated.