With the take-off of the Amotekun security outfit, the Southwest looks forward to the curtailing of kidnappers and other criminals, writes BISI OLADELE
AMOTEKUN, the Yoruba name for leopard, is the talk of the town. All thanks to Southwest governors who chose it as the name of the regional security outfit to has combat.
Vigilante groups operating within each state, security experts and statutory security agencies such as the police and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps make up the group.
Though a regional outfit, each state has its own unit.
The local government organs will coordinate Amotekun activities in jurisdiction. The six state commands will relate with the regional command to which each has contributed vehicles equipped with security and communication gadgets.
The regional command will operate from the control centre in Ibadan, and will work closely with the DAWN Commission, which provides administrative supervision to the project.
A security trust fund will foot the bill of this agency that will be overseen by the Commissioner of Police in each state.
As a local collaborative measure, Amotekun will gather information about crimes and suspicious activities for interpretation and proper action on prevention, management or counteraction.
It will undertake routine patrols in parts of highways in the region, which police are unable to adequately cover day and night. Working with traditional rulers, its activities will also permeate local communities to keep an eye on suspicious residents, visitors and non-residents coming for business or related activities.
The outfit will deploy technology in its operations, including geographical mapping and security drones.
By gathering intelligence and sharing it with the police and other statutory security agencies, it is believed that these security measures will help improve community peace and security all over the region.
The inauguration of the outfit has sent jitters down the spines of criminals.
Police involvement
The Police are key stakeholders in Amotekun’s operations. The force will offer services in the area of security clearance for those to be recruited as members, exercise the legal power of arrest and prosecution and provide technical training and back-up for the outfit.
What to expect
Fayemi, who is the Chairman, Nigerian Governor’s’ Forum, said the magnitude of insecurity witnessed in Southwest, which led to the need for Amotekun, could not be ignored. He said statutory security agencies did their best but that there was need for additional support, hence Amotekun.
Fayemi said enemies of Amotekun went on social media to give wrong interpretations of the security outfit but urged the Federal Government and security agencies should shun them. He emphasied that Amotekun is not a parallel security agency to the police or the Army.
The governor said: “We were daily assaulted by armed robbers, bandits and kidnappers. The mainstream security agencies did their best. It was in that circumstance that we lost Funke Olakunrin, the daughter of our leader Pa Fasoranti. All these mounted pressure on political leaders because our people could not sleep with their two eyes closed.
“So, our primary responsibility to provide security and welfare of the citizenry led to this. Though criminal activities were all over the country then but Western Nigeria being a relatively peaceful zone, our people became agitated over the increasing insecurity.
“I am pleased that Amotekun, whose idea has come, has been endorsed by the police in the country.
“The IGP has announced its endorsement. Amotekun is nothing but a community policing response to the yearning of our people. It will fill the void pending the time community policing structure being planned by the police will be ready. It is a confidence-building strategy for our people in Southwest. When elements that will work in a joint task force are ready they will do it with the knowledge of the language and culture and terrain of the places where they will work. It is not a duplication or a replacement for the statutory security.
“So we do not want this to create any fear in the mind of anyone. We have seen all manners of things in the social media. It is an attempt to sabotage what we are doing. We are not creating a regional police force. We are not oblivious of the steps we must take to have a state police.
“Yes, some of us are unapologetic on our belief in state police but we are also-law abiding citizens. We know the lawful steps to be taken to achieve that but that won’t stop us from taking steps to provide security for our people. As long as they are close to our people and they can be held accountable, we are okay by it. So, this should not be misconstrued. They will operate independently but relate regionally. Most importantly, this is not an attempt to undermine the Federal Government of Nigeria. We will do everything to protect the integrity of our country. Our primary interest is the security of our people and we will do everything to push this frontier.”
Akeredolu, who is the Chairman, Southwest Governors’ Forum, also lent credence to Fayemi’s suggestion and pointedly assured that governors would not deploy Amotekun for political purposes.
His words: “We acknowledge the efforts of the Federal Government in providing adequate security.
“It is our sincere hope that our efforts at the regional level will be useful for the Federal Government in the future. All we want to do is to protect our states. We are not coming up with an antagonistic structure. We are just working together. Criminality is alien to Yoruba. We always triumph over negative issues.
“I must emphasize again that this is not in any manner a body which will operate as an alternative to the police. It is in the realm of the intelligence gathering. These vehicles are not the most important. We have hundreds of motorcycles which were not brought here.
“To criminals, we have our men who know the land, way and roads who will follow and track them down. For intelligence gathering we need people who know the land inside out. They will complement the police.”
For the success of Amotekun, Akeredolu thanked the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission for a job well done. He said the commission was still working on the grey areas in the operational guidelines.
He also assured that Amotekun’s operation will conform to acceptable standards, adding that there is proper recruitment mechanism for the outfit.
He said: “We will make it difficult for undesirable elements to compound the problem on ground. You can’t use Amotekun to feather your own nest. You can’t use it for politics. No governor can deploy them for politics. Members of Amotekun will be accountable. We depend on you to protect our territory. Your patriotism must not wane.
Governors will continue to provide logistic support to Amotekun and statutory security agencies as we have been doing.”
Osun State Governor Gboyega Oyetola, who was represented by his deputy Benedict Alabi, described the outfit as a further fulfilment of the responsibility of the government. He said It helps measure the efficiency of government.
He also thanked service chiefs for their support. He said Southwest stands for security, development and rights of the people of the region.
He advised personnel of the outfit to operate within limits assuring that Amotekun will collaborate with statutory security agencies for success.
He also urged residents to support the project by offering useful information to the agency.
Makinde said it was time for Southwest region to be brave, stressing that Amotekun was in the direction of achieving that.
His words: “Traditionally, humankind has always been afraid of what they do not understand. Sometimes, people throw out revolutionary ideas because people either do not understand it or are not willing to understand it. But, as an
Ooni of Ife Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi and the leader of the Yoruba World Congress, Prof. Banji Akintoye, commended the governors for the project which was borne out of collaboration. They called on all residents to support Amotekun to succeed.
Oba Ogunwusi warned against betrayal among stakeholders, stressing that the project is for the benefit of all and sundry.
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