Amotekun Commander Gives Reasons Why They Are Unable to Tackle Bandits
- The inability of Amotekun to bear arms has been identified as a major obstacle in fighting banditry in southwest
- According to Joe Komolafe, it will be better if the federal government allows them to carry arms because it will help them deliver better
- Going further, he lamented that without guns, Amotekun has to use other means to tackle criminality in the region
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Some government policies have been given as the reason the Ekiti State Security Network (Amotekun) has failed to perform optimally. This is the position of Joe Komolafe, commander of the security outfit.
According to him, the prohibition of arms bearing by Amotekun corps is affecting the fight against banditry and other security challenges in the southwest, Premium Times reports.
Source: Facebook
Komolafe disclosed this while featuring on an interview programme on Crest FM 87.7, Akure, days after the federal government was asked to arm the security outfit according to Punch Newspaper.
The Amotekun commander said the war against criminals in the region would be prosecuted properly if they are allowed to bear automatic weapons.
He stated:
“Only the police are given the authority to bear such arms and when we apprehend the suspects we hand them over to the police for prosecution.
“But even though we don’t have weapons, when they see us they run away, because we have a way we handle such situations and they know us, so when we come in they leave.”
Meanwhile, he added that the corps would continue to carry out its responsibilities of keeping the states and the region safe with or without the sophisticated weapons.
Allow Amotekun operatives carry AK-47
Recall Legit.ng had reported that Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state asked the federal government to grant southwest governors the powers to equip their respective Amotekun operatives with sophisticated firearms like AK-47.
On Tuesday, June 8, the governor made the suggestion in response to the Igangan mayhem where dozens of indigenes were killed by suspected armed herdsmen.
According to Governor Makinde, the operations of Amotekun in tackling criminality continues to be limited because the operatives do not have sophisticated weapons to match that of criminal elements.
Foreign herdsmen have invaded southwest forests
Meanwhile, Gen. Kunle Togun (retd), the chairman of the Oyo State Security Network advised residents in the six southwest states to be vigilant, noting that foreign Fulani herdsmen are present in forests in the region.
Togun said on Wednesday, June 2, that the foreigners might launch attacks on the region.
He noted that the Fulani, who were mainly from Mali, Niger Republic, Chad and Burkina Faso, had been residing in the forests for some years. Togun said the Fulani herdsmen causing security crisis the country are not Nigerians.
Source: Legit.ng
