OPC, Agbekoya, others unite to battle criminals in the South West Nigeria, seeking cooperation of governors.
Indication emerged on Saturday that leaders of some ethnic groups in Yorubaland like the Oodua Peoples Congress and Agbekoya were awaiting South-West governors to request personnel from their fold for the anticipated joint security outfit codenamed ‘Operation Amotekun.’
Amotekun is the Yoruba word for a leopard and it’s believed that the security operation was conceived by the governors to tackle the security challenges facing the region. In recent times, some states have been battling with banditry and kidnapping. The governors had planned to launch the operation in October.
Speaking with news reporters on Saturday, the National Coordinator of the OPC, Chief Gani Adams, said leaders of the groups had united to complement the efforts of the security agencies.
He said, “The present stage is that the group is awaiting the response of the governors so that we can know the number of security personnel needed.
Some of the group members are the OPC, Agbekoya, vigilantes, Yoruba Youth Council and the community security awareness initiative.’’
“These groups have resolved to jointly work together. We have written to the governors, chief security advisers and commissioners of police in the South-West. We are ready to complement the efforts of the security agencies. We have held meetings in Lagos and another one would hold on Wednesday in Ibadan, Oyo State.’’
The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, who noted that the operation should be supported by every Yoruba because it was in the interest of the South-West, said the local security groups were operating under the banner of ‘South-West Security Stakeholders Group.’
On whether the outfit would not be interpreted as operating under the guise of state police, Adams said members of the outfit would share intelligence with the security agencies and hand over arrested criminals to them for prosecution.
‘Police’ll play major roles in operation’
The Commissioner for Information, Ekiti State, Mr Muyiwa Olumilua, said the police, as the leading law enforcement agency in internal security, would play primary roles in the initiative.
Olumilua said the launch of the security outfit would be done in no distant time.
He said, “Our vehicles and equipment are ready. We are only waiting for the whistle to blow so that we can start.
“You don’t talk about security without communication equipment. We have communication equipment. We have vehicles. We are using the police, so, definitely, they are already armed. I don’t think any state has the authority or the permission to go ahead and procure arms. We can’t procure arms. If that is going to happen, maybe we are going to make funds available for the police to procure arms for the operation.
“The police are the primary security outfit in the country when it comes to internal security. They will play a major role. They will play a primary role in conjunction with other agencies.”
Though he said he was not aware of any plan to buy helicopter for the operation, the commissioner said, “I know of the purchase of vehicles by the states. In Ekiti State, we have 20 vehicles.”
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Also, each of the South-West governors has agreed to donate 100 operational vehicles to kick-start the project.
The Ogun State Government disclosed this in Abeokuta.
The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Kunle Somorin, disclosed this to one of our correspondents.
He said, “100 vehicles are to be given by each state.”
On the agency that would lead the operation, Somorin said, “Police will firm the majority of the outfit.”
He however declined comment on other questions, saying, “The rest are operational details. The chairman of South-West Governors’ Forum is Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu.”
In his response, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the police would work with other sister agencies and local security outfits.
He said, “As far as the police are concerned, we are working with other security agencies and hunters. The security outfit code-named Amotekun is a brainchild of all the governors in the South-West.’’
On whether the recruitment of personnel had commenced or not, Oyeyemi said, “What we are doing now is community policing. There is no way you will police people without the people. Everybody that has something to do with security has to be involved. The vigilantes and hunters are going to be fully involved.’’
On the number of recruits, Oyeyemi said, “We don’t need to disclose the number of the recruits. All the hunters and vigilantes will be needed.”
Ondo ready for ‘Operation Amotekun’
The Ondo State Government said it was ready to do anything for the sake of security of the people in the state.
The government, who spoke through the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation Mr Donald Ojogo, said the state would give full backing to the ‘Operation Amotekun’, for the security of the people of the South-West after its launch.
He was however silent on the number of vehicles and other logistics procured to tackle insecurity in the region.
Ojogo said, “The institution of the security architecture is an ongoing process. It takes a whole lot to put in place same.
“Nothing will be spared, including the procurement of drones and helicopters, if resources permit, to tackle insecurity and let the people of the South-West sleep with their eyes closed. For security reasons, we would like to keep close to our chest the total number of vehicles procured so far.”
On the role of the police in the security outfit, spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, Mr Femi Joseph, failed to comment on the matter, saying “Wait until it is officially launched.”
Source: PUNCH Newspaper
