A bill for a law to establish Edo State Community Security Network Governance law, on Monday scaled second reading at the Edo State House of Assembly.
This followed the presentation of the general principles of the bill by the sponsor and Majority Leader, Charity Aiguobarueghian, at plenary in Benin.
Presenting the bill, Aiguobarueghian said the bill sought to provide a legal framework for the security network which was already in existence in the State.
He said the challenges of insecurity in the country had become overwhelming, adding that Edo was not left out, hence, the need for the operations of the committee security network to be backed by law.
The Deputy Speaker, Mrs Maria Edeko, said the Community Security Network, popularly called vigilante group, was closer to the people at the grassroots, stressing that it would be able to fish out criminal elements within the community.
“The law is long overdue as the volunteers have been doing a great job providing security services to the people”, she said.
Other lawmakers who supported the passage of the bill said that the bill would help to send stronger warning signals to criminals and make the State safer.
The Speaker, Blessing Agbebaku, after listening to contributions by the lawmakers passed the bill through the second reading.
Agbebaku, thereafter, referred the bill to the House Committee on Safety and Security with a mandate to report in two weeks.
She condoled with the families of those who lost their lives in Okomu and Erha villages in Ovia South-West and Owan East Local Government Areas of the State.