Spate of killing, kidnapping renews call for Amotekun operations in Southwest states
• Amotekun would have foiled looting, burning of properties in Lagos - DAWN Commision • Ogun, Lagos move to start local policing operations
Increasing cases of kidnapping, killing, farmer-herder clashes and other crimes across the six Southwest states are now renewing and intensifying calls for the full operations of Amotekun Security Network, popularly known as Amotekun Corps in the region.
Recall that there was a strong opposition from the Federal Government against the creation of the Western Security Network known as Operations Amotekun when the Development Agenda of Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, the Secretariat of the Southwest Governors’ Forum first mooted the idea and move to launch it to fight increasing insecurity in the region.
The opposition was centred on Exclusive List Clauses of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which allow only Federal Government to take decision and action on any matters of the internal security, but the six Southwest governors had a united voice on the creation and operations of Amotekun which prompted the governors to re-channel Amotekun Corps’ Creation Bills through various State Houses of Assembly to legislate on its existence.
This singular effort makes the creation of Amotekun Corps legal and all governors of all the six Southwest states, namely, Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Lagos, Ondo and Ekiti states put up action on its existence, but the paucity of funds and other logistics had inhibited their full policing operations in all the Southwest states, though four out of the six states had fully created the Corps, Lagos and Ogun are yet to recruit men and personnel for their Corps to take off properly.
Speaking on full local policing operations in Southwest, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state said against the backdrop of the killing of Oba Israel Adeusi, Olufon of Ifon, who was killed by unknown gunmen last weekend, that the incident confirmed that the country is in serious security crisis and the solution is local policing, saying Amotekun Corps would be well positioned in Ondo state and Southwest to combat all forms of insecurity.
Governor Akeredolu, who spoke through Donald Ojogo, the State Commissioner for Information Orientation on the spate of insecurity in the state, especially the killing of a monarch and kidnapping of Sade Ale, wife of Chief of Staff to the State Governor, declared that all efforts would be done by government to unravel those behind all heinous acts, crimes and criminality in the state.
Also, Development Agenda of Western Nigeria (DAWN), which is the Secretariat of the Southwest Governors’ Forum, said that the Soutwest Security Network which was codenamed Amotekun would have foiled Lagos destruction and looting during the recent #ENDSARS Protest as Amotekun Security Network if had been inaugurated properly in Lagos, would have prevented such a bad experience.
Seye Oyeleye, DirectorGeneral of DAWN Commission said, “When we talk about Amotekun Security Network and concept behind its creation, some people would want to embark on mischief that it was created against the Federal Government Security Network, it is not.
“Amotekun is purely for local policing and the local policing involves recruiting the locals to participate in protection of lives and properties.
“So, if we had had them in place in Lagos, they would have prevented the burning, destruction and looting, because they will surely know those that were coming to burn and loot, thereby, they will prevent easily the senseless looting.”