Fayemi inaugurates Amotekun

 Rasaq Ibrahim, Ado-Ekiti

EKITI State Governor Kayode Fayemi on Monday inaugurated the State Security Agency code-named ‘Amotekun corps’. He warned that criminal-minded elements should stay away from the state or face their waterloo.

The bill setting up the security outfit was on February 14 passed into law by the House of Assembly after scaling through rigorous legislative hurdles.

It was on March 16 assented to law by Governor Fayemi.

Speaking at the passing-out ceremony held at the Ekiti Parapo Pavilion, Ado-Ekiti, Dr. Fayemi said the state henceforth would no longer be a safe haven for kidnappers, bandits and other criminally-minded elements.

No fewer than 400 members of the security outfit were inaugurated at the ceremony.

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The governor said the security outfit was not meant to replace or discredit other traditional security agencies, but to collaborate with and strengthen their operations.

He said the formation of the security outfit was a child of necessity aimed to solve and address the security challenges bedevilling the state, the Southwest in particular and Nigeria in general.

He said the agency, in the course of carrying out its duty, would safeguard the human rights of the citizens as enshrined in the constitution, adding that citizens are expected to go about their activities without any fear of intimidation.

The governor, who had carried out inspection of the quarter guard and parade, was accompanied by the Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, Secretary to the State Government Biodun Oyebanji, Chief of Staff to the Governor Biodun Omoleye and the Chairman, Traditional Council and the Alawe of Ilawe-Ekiti, Oba Ajibade Alabi, among others.

Fayemi said: “The precarious security situation we are contending with nationwide has created a palpable fear in the minds of our people. The current challenges of proliferation of small arms and light weapons, kidnapping, assassination, cattle rustling, ritual killing, armed robbery, cultism and youth restiveness are daunting but surmountable.”