Satguru Maharaj Ji, the founder of One Love Family, has expressed support for the establishment of the Western Nigeria Security Network code-named Amotekun.
The security said the security outfit should be granted power to arrest and prosecute offenders.
The spiritual leader said this in a statement issued during the week as Houses of Assembly in the Southwest held hearings on Amotekun operations.
“Amotekun should be seen as a reinforced and re-equipped version of the Forest Guards whose duty is to protect environmental flora and fauna but, Amotekun should go beyond that. It should be directly charged with the responsibility of combing the nooks and crannies of urban centres, our forests and hinterlands in order to fish out criminals such as kidnappers who use the bush as their operational base as well as cattle rustlers who invade and kill farmers on their farms.
“I believe very strongly that since Operation Amotekun is a grassroot-oriented security outfit, there is the compelling need to integrate our traditional institutions such as the Agbekoya and traditional nucleus powers into its operations with our royal fathers playing direct and effective roles in its operations for us to achieve the much desire security goal.”
He, however, advised the South-West governors to allow Amotekun operatives to bear light arms and employ “traditional ways and means of securing the people” in the discharge of their duties.
