Rotimi Akeredolu, the governor of Ondo State, has pleaded with the federal government to permit the Amotekun Corps to carry high-tech weaponry for the protection of the populace.
Speaking about his current stance about the contract for private individuals and organisations to monitor oil pipelines, Akeredolu revealed that his view was to enable Amotekun to own sophisticated weapons, much like the non-state actors hired to protect the oil pipelines.
At the opening of the newly renovated office building on the grounds of the Ondo State Oil Producing Area Development Commission in Oba-Ile, in the state’s Akure North Local Government Area, the governor made this statement on Wednesday.
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Decrying the precarious security situation in the country, Akeredolu vowed that he would continue to take the bull by the horn in protecting the people of the state.
He said: “Most of the people and even some of my colleagues didn’t really understand my position on the oil pipeline surveillance contract. I have no issue with the Federal Government awarding surveillance contract to anybody. It is Federal Government’s money. They can use it anyhow they want.
“Here, we are spending our money on Amotekun. And what I said in my statement titled ‘Who actually needs weapon’ was that the Federal Government should allow Amotekun carry sophisticated weapons like those whom they awarded pipelines surveillance contract.
“If you can allow individuals to carry heavy arms to protect pipelines, why won’t you allow Amotekun to carry sophisticated weapons to protect the people. The oil facilities are not more important than the lives of the people,” he said.
Governor Akeredolu, who disclosed that some arrests had been made in connection to the abduction of some burial guests in Ifon on Saturday, said the victims who had been released were scared to come and identify their abductors.
He lauded all the security agencies in the state, including Amotekun, for the great work they did in securing the victims’ release.
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