By Idowu Abdullahi,
Days after the public hearing, the Lagos State House of Assembly has unanimously passed the bill on Amotekun, a security outfit of Nigeria’s South West Region.
The bill was passed after the speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, and his colleagues read it for the third time on the floor of the house.
The bill, which was passed on Tuesday, seeks to unify the proposed law that would guide the security outfit jointly established by the South West governors.
Prior to the passing of the bill, the Lagos State House of Assembly had organised a public hearing which was attended by top residents of the state.
It would be recalled the Speaker had, during the public hearing, disclosed that the actualization of Amotekun as a security outfit in state and the entire region was in accordance with yearnings of the people, which all South West States must strive to achieve.
According to him, anything contrary to demands of citizens and residents of the region, would have maligned the collective ‘omoluabi’ ethos that traditionally binds the ‘Oodua’ people together irrespective of state or regional affiliations.
He noted that amotekun security outfit was a body that had come to stay in the entire region, and reaffirmed that the outfit had become important for security of lives and properties of the people.
According to him, given prevalence of crime, kidnappings and religious terrorism in Nigeria, it had become imperative for regions to take steps to ensure safety of lives and properties of citizens, and that this was basis upon which Amotekun had been founded.
“I’m sure we all recall the incidents before the establishment of Amotekun, the killings, maiming, kidnapping and their likes. In the wisdom of our governors, they decided on Amotekun. Amotekun has come to stay and we must stand by it”, the Speaker had said.
He added, “In the wisdom of our governors, they decided on Amotekun. Our race has spoken and we must stand by it but in line with the constitution”.
