16th January, 2020
The Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Scandinavia countries, Mr Ayoola Lawal, has appealed to the Federal Government to rescind its decision, declaring ‘Amotekun’ security outfit illegal.
Lawal in a statement sent to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Thursday, said Amotekun stood to benefit overall security of the country.
NAN recalls that the Minister for Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami, in a statement through his special Adviser on Media, Dr Umar Gwandu, on Jan. 14, declared “AMOTEKUN” as illegal.
Lawal however, stated that the creation and launching of Amotekun (Panther) by Southwest governors should be encouraged and supported.
“ No Nigerian needs further explanation or narrative for the creation of Amotekun ( Panther) by the chief security officers of the Southwest region of Nigeria. The insecurity challenges across Nigeria seem to be overwhelming for only security agencies alone to handle as of now.
“The governors already made it known that the outfit was established not as an arm of the security forces in Nigeria, but it is a joint neighbourhood security outfit to make security of lives and property more easier in the region.
“It is the packing, presentation and as well as a unity of the governors of Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Ekiti and Osun to launch ‘Operation Amotekun’ to combat insecurity and crime in the region.
” We appeal to the Federal Government to think of it more from a holistic perspective and see it for what it is, encourage it, develop appropriate strategies to ensure the effectiveness of the outfit and jettison whatever fear they may have,” he said.
He implored the Federal Government ”to sleep over the idea of the proscription and write history, because, in unity, Nigeria is stronger and better”.
He however, said the southwest governors that set up the outfit were capable and stood to defend and achieve the best ways in promoting and protecting the safety of lives and property of their region through the appropriate means.
Lawal noted that the security outfit’s structure, which was from the village hunters to other known vigilante groups in the southwest remained the best form of community policing and would not work outside its mandate.
“Amotekun is the ideal policing framework for modern policing and checkmating emerging criminal activities in rural and remote communities in the southwest,” he added.