The Osun State House of Assembly has said that the Amotekun Corps in the state have no power to prosecute cases, Affairs TV Reports.
A statement by Tiamiyu Olumide, Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, noted that the amendment to Section 4(1)(k) of the principal law requires the Amotekun to forward the case file to the office of the Attorney-General upon the completion of investigation.
The statement reads, “The attention of the Osun State House of Assembly has been drawn to a deliberate attempt by some mischievous elements to twist the fact and mis-interpret the amendment law of the Osun State Security Network Agency And Amotekun Corps (Establishment) recently passed by the House and signed into law by His Excellency, Governor Ademola Adeleke.
“Contrary to the erroneous insinuation, no part of the law grants prosecutory power to Amotekun. Section 4(1)(k) of the principal law, which must have been the basis of the misrepresentation, clearly requires the Amotekun to forward the case file to the office of the Attorney-General upon the completion of investigation.
“This is nothing unusual as Sections 174 and 211 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, confers prosecutory power on both federal and states Attorney-General. Amotekun is a child of necessity, primarily to fight crimes that seem to have overwhelmed the Police Force, and it is disturbing that some elements are trying to politicise its operation.
“The law was passed with improved conviction in mind in order to encourage deterrent for crimes and get justice for the people.
“We urge those who always see politics in everything to show some caution as politicizing security matters will do no one any good. In an instance where the content of a bill is not understood, the responsible thing to do is to seek clarification from the House or get a copy of the Law, and not subject it to misinterpretation as the recent event showed.
“Amotekun Corps is a security outfit put up purposely to fix the gaps in our security architecture, not a political tool as mischief makers tried to portray them. As much as we understand the background of abuses of state machinery for political purposes that those behind the false alarm have in mind, we ask them to be prevailed by the reality that this government is not given to selfishness that shadowed the past.
“We therefore urge the public to be wary of the dangerous antics of those who doesn’t have their interests at heart because Amotekun is for their security and the House is doing everything possible to make it discharge her job without hindrance.”
