The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has urged governors in the six South-West states to strengthen the Western Nigeria Security Network, popularly known as Amotekun, pending the establishment of state police.
The organisation called for increased personnel, modern communication equipment, operational vehicles and surveillance drones for the security outfit to enable it to respond more effectively to rising insecurity across the region.
Afenifere also urged the governors to enforce anti-open grazing laws, establish specialised ranger units to patrol forest reserves being used as criminal hideouts and integrate local hunters and vigilante groups into intelligence-sharing networks.
The organisation made the demands in a statement issued in Ibadan on Friday by its spokesperson, Jare Ajayi.
Calling on South-West governors to take immediate action, the organisation said, “Pending the establishment of state police, strengthen Amotekun by, among others, increasing its personnel, providing it with modern communication tools, operational vehicles and surveillance drones.”
It also urged the governors to enforce anti-open grazing laws and establish specialised ranger units to clear and patrol forest reserves that have become hideouts for criminals.
The group called for the integration of local hunters and vigilante groups into formal intelligence and information-sharing networks, while promoting modern ranching as an alternative to open grazing.
Afenifere further recommended the establishment of joint security checkpoints along porous state borders to prevent armed groups from entering the South-West.
It specifically urged security agencies to pay attention to groups travelling on multiple motorcycles.
“Those riding on multiple motorbikes should particularly be blocked, especially if they are armed,” the organisation said.
The group further called for the establishment of joint security checkpoints along porous state borders to prevent the movement of armed groups into the region.
It said the measures were necessary while the country awaited the completion of ongoing constitutional processes for the establishment of state police.
Afenifere commended Tinubu for his recent directive for the development of a comprehensive National Threat Assessment and a rolling five-year Strategic Defence Operations Plan within 90 days.
The organisation said the initiative would strengthen coordination among the country’s defence, intelligence and security agencies.
It, however, urged the Federal Government and state authorities to adopt a multi-layered approach to tackling banditry, kidnapping and other forms of insecurity.
According to Afenifere, such an approach should combine robust military action, tighter border control, community policing and measures to eliminate the economic incentives driving kidnapping and other criminal activities.
Credit: punchng.com
