NBA advocates psychiatric test for Amotekun operatives

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on Sunday suggested compulsory psychiatric test for the operatives of Ekiti State Security Network Agency, Amotekun.

The Ekiti State House of Bill passed the bill on Amotekun last week.

The NBA Chairman, Ado Ekiti Branch, Barr. Olakanmi Falade, said in a statement that making psychiatric test one of the prerequisites for the employment of Amotekun operatives would help to ascertain the mental preparedness of the operatives.

According to him, subjecting recruits to such exercise would inject sanity into the conduct and operations of the operatives.

Falade said the step is necessary in order to avoid incessant misconduct associated with conventional security agencies.

He said section 19 of the Ekiti State Security Network Agency bill sent to the House was silent on mental stability of Amotekun recruits.

The NBA chief said: “Under the interpretation of sections, arms should not mean firearms alone, it should also include axes, cutlasses even stick. That I think would have been taken to into account before passage.

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“Also, I proposed that in addition to criteria for employment of officials, a mandatory psychiatric test should be added in the law as stated in Section 19 which dealt with recruitment.

“The passed bill before transmission to the executive with amendments should include this. The mental stability of whoever carries arms matter to Nigerians.

“We have seen cases of how Nigerians were being abused by security operatives. We have seen how those that were supposed to guarantee safety ended up killing innocent people over flimsy excuses.”

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