For some years now, citizens of Nigeria, particularly those at the epicenter of insecurity in the North East, have continued to suffer heavy casualties.
On a daily basis, they lament their woes and helplessness in the face of constant attacks.
In the last few years, many parts of the country have suffered so much in the hands of herdsmen who overrun and sack villagers from their ancestral homes; killing, maiming, raping women and girls and abducting people for ransom. There has been little or no resistance from regular security agencies.
Many states in the North Central, particularly Benue, have borne the brunt of these unprovoked attacks. The attackers operate as if they had the licence to the lives of the people in those places. In all of these, the Federal Government’s response has been feeble. Where punishment was expected to be meted out to the perpetrators, it has been mere slap on the wrist.
Last year, indigenes and residents of Zamfara State were under serious attacks by bandits.
The busy Abuja-Kaduna road has since become a dangerous terrain, where people ply with their heart in their mouth. Instead of putting the bandits and kidnappers to rout, security authorities decided to negotiate with them, thereby emboldening them.
An analyst, who spoke with BDSUNDAY on condition of anonymity, said: “Mohammed Adamu, the inspector-general of police (IGP), was in one of such meetings with these bandits. In fact, he said this in one of the ‘peace meetings’: ‘We will take measures to dialogue with the bandits to become better citizens…’”
The analyst recalled that “it was even reported that the bandits were bribed to keep the peace. But this approach did not stop the killings. The fact is, the atrophic security threat assailing the country cannot be tackled by pandering to the whims of the antagonists. When there is no retribution for crime it festers. And while the government was still ‘dialoguing’ with the bandits, they were spreading their tentacles into other parts of the country. Not long afterwards, the South-West became a flashpoint of banditry and kidnapping.”
The bandits have taken over everywhere. The highways in South-West have become the “quickest routes to hell”.
“So, it is the inability of the Federal Government to contain these bandits- whether they are herdsmen or kidnappers- that angered many Nigerians. Again, the rate at which they invade other parts of the country was so alarming that the governors of South West decided to take the bull by the horns in the interest of their people. The South West was so getting increasingly insecure that some people reasoned that something drastic needed to be done,” he said.
He recalled that “In July, 2019, Funke Olakunrin, daughter of Pa Reuben Fasoranti, Afenifere leader, was killed savagely by bandits on Ondo road. Many other citizens had been killed in a similar pattern in the region. And the killings continued unabated.”
It has been reported that the enlistment of some irregular security outfits such as Hisbah and the Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) has to a large extent contributed to the recent success recorded by the military in the fight against the insurgents in the North East.
The argument in some quarters is, if the Federal Government should give a tacit support for these irregular security outfits in the north, why is it resisting their replication in the South West or any other part of the southern part of the country for the same purpose?
Ayomide Kolade, a trained psychologist, wondered why the formation of Amotekun should be a debatable issue, given the increasing rate of insecurity in the country.
“From my professional background, I can tell you the trauma many Nigerians are going through as a result of the insecurity in the land. I can tell you for free that more than half of the kidnappings, rapes and other bizarre things going on in this country on a daily basis are not being reported. Many Nigerians are going through mental torture as a result of these. If the Federal Government is giving its support for the establishment of irregular security outfits in the North, why is it giving its support for such things in the South; are we not in the same country. Isn’t what’s sauce for the goose also sauce for the gander?” Kolade said.
Recall that while defending the formation of the security outfit, Kayode Fayemi, governor of Ekiti State, had explained that “Amotekun is nothing but a confidence building strategy for our people in the western zone. When those elements that are going to work in the joint task force with the mainstream security agencies undertake this assignment, they are going to do it with the knowledge of the terrain, language and culture of the community they are going to work.”
The apparent dichotomous treatment of various parts of the country by the Federal Government has been alleged to have emboldened the originators of the “Operation Amotekun” to insist that there is no going back on it despite the pronouncement by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami that the outfit was illegal.
The floating of the security initiative, which has been termed by some observers as “ingenious”, has since been condemned by some Nigerians, including the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore.
In a release by Alhassan Saleh, national secretary of Miyetti Allah, the group said: “This Amotekun scheme is political and is not the solution to the problem of insecurity. What the South-West governors should have done is to continue to push for state police. Where did they expect to get the funding from at a time some of them are struggling to pay salaries?
“It is best they give up on this idea because it may affect the chances of the South-West to produce the President in 2023. The thinking is that if the South-West, a major stakeholder in this government, can be toying with this idea now, they may do worse when they get to power.”
“We are in agreement with the AGF that Amotekun is illegal. In fact, we are unhappy that it took the AGF this long to react,” it further said.
Afe Babalola, a legal luminary and senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), while disagreeing with the illegality stamp put on Amotokun by the AGF, said, among other things, that “It is an issue of public safety and protection of property.”
According to Babalola, “There is no law in Nigeria that prevents citizens from being able to secure their lives and property. Indeed, without protecting the right to life and property, no other right can be exercised as one has to be alive to enforce other rights as guaranteed in the Constitution. The Nigeria Police does not enjoy exclusive jurisdiction when it comes to the protection of lives and property.”
Yoruba to rally for Amotekun
Meanwhile, an umbrella body of all Yoruba socio-cultural groups, Yoruba World Congress (YWC), has threatened to hold a rally in support of Amotekun.
YWC in a response to the launch said it has concluded plans to organise a rally in all the six state capitals of the region on Tuesday.
The group urged Yoruba sons and daughters to come out in their large numbers on Tuesday 21st January 2020 to stage a protest rally in support of Operation Amotekun, a security network recently established by governors from Western Nigeria to wage war against the spate of insecurity ravaging the zone.
Victor Taiwo, YWC director of contacts and mobilisation, in a statement made available on Saturday, said the protest code-named ‘Amotekun Solidarity Walk’ will take place in all the South West States capital.
He added that the protest will hold simultaneously in Lagos, Abeokuta, Ibadan, Osogbo, Akure and Ado-Ekiti from 9am.
“All Yoruba people are urged to come out in their millions any where they are in Oduduwa Land on Tuesday to show to the world that Amotekun has come to stay,” the group said.
The YWC, which is being led by Yoruba Leader, a Professor of History and Second Republic Senator, Banji Akintoye, added, “We must show to the external forces and their internal collaborators who want to stampede our resolve to protect ourselves, safeguard our land from kidnappers, armed-robbery and put an end to consistent destruction of our farm lands that enough is enough.
“Well-meaning Yoruba people and leaders of thought would be at designated venues to address the protest. We want to assure our governors that Yoruba people are behind them on Amotekun. We urge them not to shiver and they must never shiver. It is no retreat, no surrender. We will not surrender Amotekun.”
“On the meeting points, those in Lagos are to converge on Gani Faweyinmi Freedom Park, Ojota; Oyo: Opposite Agodi Cenotaph, Ibadan; Ogun: Pansheke Junction, Abeokuta; Osun: Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo; Ondo: Alagbaka Roundabout, opposite First Bank, Akure while those in Ekiti are to converge on Fajuyi Roundabout, Ado-Ekiti,” it further said.
Obinna Emelike and Iniobong Iwok (Lagos), Razaq Ayinla (Abeokuta), and Remi Feyisipo (Ibadan)
