The Ondo State House of Assembly says it has commenced the process of amending the law that established the State Security Network Agency, code-named Amotekun, to deal with the rising insecurity in the state.

Gbenga Omole, the assembly’s spokesperson, said this on the sidelines of the Oka Security Summit organised by the Oka community in the Akoko South-West Local Government Area on Saturday.

Mr Omole, a member of the House Committee on Security, said the law, after the review, would give the Amotekun corps power to have access to improved technology and more sophisticated weapons to tackle security challenges.

“We (the Assembly) have been doing our best; of recent we have to tinker with the Amotekun law. We are looking at the law to give more backings to Amotekun in terms of procurement of more sophisticated weapons and more technology to be deployed.

“So we are supporting the government (executive) in terms of security, that law is under the process of being amended now to give more power to Amotekun,” he said.

The security deliberation comes after the June 5 attack on worshippers of the St Francis Catholic Church at Owa-luwa in Owo, Ondo state.

At the summit, the Olubaka of Oka Kingdom, Oba Yusuf Adeleye, thanked the community for organising the event, saying security is a collective responsibility.

“What happened in Owo on June 5, where unknown gunmen came to a church and killed over 40 people, is an eye-opener that we have to be up and doing.

“We have to be vigilant; we have to know people around us; we have to take the issue of security seriously more than ever because what happened in Owo could happen anywhere. We have to be proactive,” the traditional ruler said.

Also, a retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Adewole Ajakaiye, called for cooperation between the citizens and security agencies.

“It will be foolish for anybody to travel early in the morning and in the night. If you are travelling, arm yourself with a dress you can run with,” he said.

(NAN)