Why Operation Amotekun Requires Legal Backing

Segun Awosayan/

Again this reinforces what was said earlier. Anything established without legislation is not sustainable. The stop gap created under the former IGP to temporarily tame the impunity of the tactical squads was repealed by the current IGP by the whim despite its effectiveness.

Thankfully we were clear on our Mandate cum the multilayered advocacy which included the engagement of all arms of government including the legislature. We now have a law passed and the last leg to follow that will birth the new police structure that mirrors global best practices. 

This is how things are done properly for sustainability and not just some emotive efforts in futility that will create more problems than they can ever solve. A strategic solution to security issues must be holistic and backed by legislation.

You are in office and it is easier. We did it as ordinary citizens collaborating and engaging the authorities while carrying the people along. Use this template and carry Nigerians along beyind the ethnic cum regional sentiments.

Yes we support the regional security approach but let’s make it Nationally tenable. No Armed forces or Police structure will support it as it stands. If they carry weapons it will be deemed an act of terrorism because of its potential fragility and tendency to be hijacked by political interests. We had to tweak the use of protests as a form of engagement as well. 

The SW is cosmopolitan and renowned for their adherence to process due to their exposure and education. We are no primitives. It doesn’t kill to do the right thing and then challenge those doing wrong. A change of Govt will change the anomalies in the North in this regard. No form of impunity as normalized today is sustainable once those that reinforce it are out of power.

Those benefitting from bloodletting and enjoying the current partisan protection know this. There is nothing like making a lawful change. This is the real legacy. It’s possible. 

Some people are stealing systemically today because their man in power will never get them arrested. Do we then teach our kids to steal because others are getting away with murder?

The Regional Security arrangement tagged Amotekun is a great idea a few of us foresaw years ago. All we are saying is let’s do it right. It is worth the trouble. The easier route is to modify the Forest Protection Laws that empowers forest guards as stated by @DrCOmole. This can justify the legal establishment of the idea at the state level before harmonizing. 

At least we can call out the hypocrisy of the rulers based on the points raised against AMOTEKUN and ask if we have different laws in Nigeria. There isn’t any region more Nigerian than the others. The Government will rather grant the idea a pass or disarm ALL for peace to reign. 

If illiterate foreigners of Fulani descent can freely carry arms to roam in Nigeria as justified by the need to curb the vicious action of rustlers, so can the AMOTEKUN officers in the SW, but this time LEGALLY for sustainability and collaboration with FG Security Architecture.

*Awosanya, convener of EndSARS Campaign and founder of Social Intervention Advocacy Foundation, shared this article on Twitter via @segalink.

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