Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has told the Ekiti State Security Network Agency (Amotekun Corps) Board to protect residents of the state.
Fayemi spoke during a meeting with the board in Ado Ekiti on Friday.
He urged the security outfit to ensure that every part of the state was safe for residents.
According to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Yinka Oyebode, the governor said his administration would continue to collaborate with the police and other security agencies towards protecting all communities in the state.
He also said the state would collaborate with other South-West states to share intelligence and ideas to prevent bandits and other criminals from wreaking havoc on the state.
Fayemi said, “This was what led to our (South-West governors) decision to set up the security network agency on a state-by-state basis, but coordinating and collaborating with one another because crimes don’t recognise boundaries.
“Because of that, we need to share intelligence, ideas and work together to ensure that whatever we do at state level is effective and efficient.
“The idea, of course, is that security is about people and it should be driven by people. The citizens themselves are the best providers of security because they have information about what is going on in their environment and if they are alive and attentive to it, they would be able to respond effectively to whatever challenges that may arise.”
According to him, the board comprise people who have wide experience in security matters representing critical stakeholders like the police, Department of State Services, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and others.
He said the meeting was aimed at interacting with stakeholders ahead of the formalisation of the outfit with the endorsement and clearance of the state House of Assembly.