Lawmakers in Amotekun regalia as Oyo, Lagos, Osun, Ondo Assemblies pass bill into law

The Oyo State House of Assembly on Tuesday passed the Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun) Bill, 2020 into law.
The bill was read for the third time and subsequently passed.
The lawmakers were dressed in the symbolic leopard outfit of Operation Amotekun.
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.
Also, the Lagos State House of Assembly unanimously passed the Bill on Amotekun Corps.
The bill was passed 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 become a reality.
The Osun House of Assembly also 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 February 27 where it passed the first reading.
Subsequently, a public hearing was held by the Osun Assembly on February 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.
Amotekun is the security initiative of the states in the South West Zone aimed at boosting security in the region.
Lawmakers in Ondo State also passed the bill for a law to establish the State Security Network Agency and Amotekun Corps Bill.
The Assembly on February 18 deliberated on the bill and committed it to the House Committee on Security Matters after scaling through first and second reading and had its public hearing on February 24.
The Majority Leader, Mr Jamiu Maito, had moved a motion for the bill to be submitted by the Chairman of the House Committee on Security Matters, Hon. Ololade Begudu, and it  was seconded by Hon. Favour Tomowemo representing Ilaje 2.
Mr Bode Adeyelu read the bill for third reading, with Maito moving the motion for its passage while it was seconded by Leonard Akinribido, the Deputy Minority Leader.
Speaking on the recommendations of the bill, Begudu said that the security agency would have a board to be administered by a chairman to be appointed by the governor.
He added that the chairman must be a person of proven integrity while there would a commander to lead the personnel of the corps on field.
The committee chairman noted that the commander must a retired security personnel not below the rank of a major or its equivalent, with his confirmation at the behest of the assembly.
According to him, the template of the state was being used by others to harmonise the bill.
The Speaker of the house, Mr Bamidele Oleyelogun, on his part, described the passage of the bill as remarkable.
Oleyelogun, who wore Amotekun traditional attire, said that the bill if assented to by the governor would reduce crime in the state.
He explained that the corps would be a community policing body that would complement the work of other security agencies in the state.
The state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Kola Olawoye, said that history had been made in the state.
Olawoye noted that it was the first time that the Yoruba race would speak with one voice without opposition.