Lagos, Oyo, Osun Assemblies pass Amotekun Corps Bill; Lawmakers appear in leopard outfit of Operation Amotekun.

 By Adekunle Williams (Lagos), Adebisi Fatima Sogbade (Ibadan), Olajide Idowu
(Osogbo)

The Houses of Assembly of Lagos, Oyo and Osun States have, Tuesday, separately passed the Bill to legalize Amotekun, the joint security outfit being set up by the geo-political zone.
Lagos State House of Assembly unanimously passed the Bill on Amotekun Corps, after it was read for the third time.
The Speaker, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, explained that the bill sought to unify the proposed law that would guide the security outfit jointly established by the South-West governors.
He said the Amotekun Corps Bill was passed by amending the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency Bill.
Obasa noted that the House decided to amend the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Law to include the Amotekun Corps.
The speaker said that Amotekun was a security outfit that had come to stay in the region.
“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 Bill and that is why we have given it an accelerated passage for immediate implementation.
“Our race has spoken and we must stand by it, but in line with the Constitution,” he said.
Obasa, therefore, thanked his colleagues for ensuring that the passage of the bill became a reality.

In Ibadan, the Oyo State House of Assembly passed the Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun) Bill, 2020 into law.
The bill was read for the third time and subsequently passed.
The Speaker of the Assembly, Mr Adebo Ogundoyin, said the passage of the bill into law would help promote security for the people of the state.
” There is excitement knowing that this bill is the beginning of intense and comprehensive security for Oyo State and the South West region as a whole.
” This outfit will be a very responsible outfit, it will be responsible for rapid economic development in terms of agriculture, in terms of infrastructure and peace and stability.
” We are very optimistic that the South West and Oyo State are on the path of rapid development,” he said.
He gave an assurance that the outfit would soon become operational, adding that more vehicles and other equipment would be provided for the corps.
Mr Akeem Obadara (PDP-Ibadan Northwest) had earlier presented the report of the Committee on Security and Strategy to the House at the plenary.
NAN reports that the lawmakers were dressed in the symbolic leopard outfit of Operation Amotekun.
Also in Oshogbo, the Osun House of Assembly passed the Osun Security Network Agency and Amotekun Corps Establishment Bill 2020 after it was read for the third time.
The Amotekun bill was presented to the Osun Assembly on Feb. 27 where it passed the first reading.
Subsequently, a public hearing was held by the Osun Assembly on Feb. 24 to inject stakeholders’ contributions and suggestions into the bill.
The Osun Assembly, during its plenary on Monday, read and passed the bill for second reading and the House dissolved into a Committee of the Whole where grey areas in the bill were treated and a final draft of the bill adopted.
The Speaker, invoking order 87 rule 1 and 2 of the House, on Tuesday recommitted the bill back to the Committee of the Whole where the lawmakers further deliberated, amended and injected new suggestions into it.
The new amendments made to the bill were later adopted and it was read for the third time and unanimously passed by the lawmakers.
The Speaker, after the passage of the bill, thanked his colleagues for giving the bill an accelerated passage.