By David Olalekan.
The Osun State government, has donated 20 Armoured Personnel Carriers to aid the operation of the newly-established Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSN).
In a statement credited to the Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola, on Tuesday, he said the state would be partnering with other South West states to strengthen security in the region.
“We are contributing 20 Armoured Personnel Carriers and other ideas and logistics to further guarantee the security of lives and property of the citizens in our state and region,” he said.
Governors from the six South-West states had earlier obtained an approval from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) to set up a regional security outfit to curb the alarming rate of kidnappings, banditry and other criminal activities in the region.
According to the chairman of the South-West Governors’ Forum, Rotimi Akeredolu, the regional security outfit is set to be inaugurated in October.
The governors were reported to have purchased patrol vans to be used by each state.
It was gathered that the WNSN is expected to comprise local hunters and members of the O’odua Peoples Congress (OPC) in coordinating intelligence gathering.
The security outfit is saddled with the responsibility of monitoring activities in the neighborhood and combing forests in the region.
INSIDER also learnt that the WNSN will work with traditional rulers and other security outfits to ensure they work within the confines of the law.
Prior to the recent approval of the Federal Government, the governors of Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti, Osun and Lagos States had earlier met with President Muhammadu Buhari in June but failed to reach an agreement on the matter.