The Senator representing Oyo South Senatorial District, Kola Balogun, has called on the Federal Government to allow the South West Security Network, codenamed Amotekun, to carry arms.
The Senator made the call on Monday while featuring on Channels Television’s programme, ‘Politics Today”.
“Let me also say that I am aware that the Amotekun personnel has requested that the Inspector-General of Police grant them the license to be well-equipped. As we speak now, they are not as equipped as these invaders who are savages and who go on the rampage,” Senator Balogun explained.
“I appeal to the IG and the police to grant them (Amotekun personnel) the license to be well-equipped as long as what they are doing is in support of what the police is doing.”
![[FILES] gunmen. Photo: AA](https://www.afriupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/gunmen-1-1062x598-1.jpg "Gunmen kidnap five students in Nigeria 2")
There have been growing clashes between herders and farmers in recent months in the South-West, which has raised concerns over the ability of the security agencies to restore law and order.
Over the weekend, some suspected Fulani herdsmen attacked Igangan Community in Oyo State, where they killed 11 persons and destroyed properties.
The lawmaker, who condemned the incident, commended the Amotekun operatives and other local vigilante groups, adding that the situation would have been worse if not for their intervention.
“Amotekun is active and Amotekun is working even with the police. As a matter of fact, the situation would have been worse but for Amotekun and other local security outfits because from the report that I got, the people that came to invade had bigger plans than what happened,” he added while noting that Amotekun now has a joint patrol across the region.
“It was the community, the Amotekun, the local vigilantes that were mobilized in the middle of the night even though they were ambushed because they were not expecting them but they actually mitigated the effect of the damage.”
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