There has been several controversies surrounding the South Western Nigeria security artchitecture code named “AMOTEKUN”.
The main purpose behind the security scheme is just to safe guard and secure the people of the South western part of Nigeria but since Amotekun has been launched in Ibadan which will be its operational base, several arguments and opinions have been raised about the scheme.
Amotekun is a Yoruba name for leopard which the six South Western Nigeria Governors agreed to give to the security outfit they designed to combat crimes in the region, following increasing crime rate the governors who met in the Office of the chairman of the South west governors in person of Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu decided on having a joint security network to tackle crime in the South west Nigeria and assist the Nigeria police force.
It is not suprising that after Amotekun was launched in Ibadan, it has been in the news and public discourse everyday and it has generated controversial arguments and public debate. It is quite appalling that such arguments and deliberations are based on, legality, religion, political party and ethnicity, this is a clear indication of some of the problems facing our contemporary Nigeria society where everything is being viewed from the aspect of religion, political affiliation, ethnicity and not on humanity, National security or national unity.
It is now hard for us to find a day without Amotekun being discussed on all forms of media and no one knows when the focus will shift away from Amotekun and focus on other things that really request our attention as a nation more than Amotekun.
Nigeria has too many security artchitecture from the Nigerian police, Department of State Security (DSS), Civil Defence, Airforce, Navy, Army, vigilantee group of Nigeria (VGN) and so many but here am trying to discuss the issues surrounding Amotekun and not the many security artchitecture Nigeria has and there is increase in crime rate . According to Section 14 subsection 2b of the 1999 constitution, security of lives and properties shall be the sole responsibility of the government. It was stated in another section on how individuals can help in security of lives and properties, here there are two things security is the responsibility of the federal government which does not support state policing and secondly it states that individuals can help in terms of security which is why the actions of the governors are logical in relation to Amotekun.
It is worrying that when the six governors were planning the scheme there was no uproar but after it was launched several bodies and individuals turned to be what I call “Amotekun Pundit” who started twisting the initiatives into several narratives based on their ethnic group, religion and political party.
I will like to enlighten them here that Amotekun to me has no political ideology because the six governors who are the brain behind it are not on the same side of the moving political train. The governor of Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde is from the PDP, governor of Ondo Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu who is also the chairman of the 6 Western governors is not totally in APC fully according to reports and same things applys to the governor of Ekiti state Mr Kayode Fayemi who is also the chairman of Nigeria Governors’ forum while the other three governors are loyalist of the APC, by this we have three different political camps among the six governors which makes it quite difficult to have the same political mindset.
Amotekun has been given an ethnic ideology has the Miyetti Allah and some other prominent individuals have criticized the scheme as an idea by the South westerners to eliminate the other ethnic group aside Yoruba and it’s a call for Oduduwa Republic as some said in their submissions against Amotekun. Some governors of the South East claimed the South western governors stole their idea but at the same time the self-aclaimed leader of the IPOB pledged his support for the scheme by vowing to support with 1000 IPOB boys.
The controversies surrounding Amotekun took a different dimension when the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN) who is also the Minister of Justice declared that Amotekun is illegal and unconstitutional. This led to Series of legal interpretation as Femi Falana (SAN) and Prof Wole Soyinka led in defence of Amotekun by attacking the Minister of Justice that laws aren’t made in his office and that the matter should be taken to court.
During this turbulent times for Amotekun there were several calls for the National leader of the APC Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is from the region to state where he stands and after several calls for his opinion, the former governor of Lagos state called for dialogue between the governors and the federal government which later happened.
It was suprising that some could say that the scheme is a Christian Agenda against the Muslim in South west Nigeria, this is a confirmation of the huge problems religion has caused us.
In as much as the idea behind the scheme was beautiful and wonderful the problem behind it is that before it was launched there was no legal backing or constitution that will guide the affairs and code of conduct of the scheme, this has led is to the dilema and conudrum that Amotekun is deposited in and it will require that there is a legal backing for it which must be in line with community policing and of which the scheme must not work or function outside its aim and rationale behind its formation.
Amotekun if it doesn’t have any other motive inimical to national unity and national interest and if it doesn’t have any hidden motive, it’s a security outfit which must be appreciated by all irrespective of our ethnic, religion or political affiliation. Amotekun is an idea which must be emulated by other regions in order to support the federal government in combating crimes in the country.
Written by Shokoya Olakunle Adeboye.
A writer, sociologist with bias in development and crime, Researcher and a socio political analyst
Contact via [email protected]
