18th January, 2020
By Moyo Fabiyi
A former speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Abayomi Kiyomi has thrown his weight behind the creation of a regional security outfit tagged, ‘Operation Amotekun’ by the governors in the South West states.
Speaking in a telephone conversation with our correspondent, octogenarian Pa Kiyomi recalled that in an interview with a national daily (the Punch) in 1994, he advocated the creation of regional police and the Army to forestall coups and counter coups.
He said, “the constitution recognizes the governor as the Chief Security Officer of his state. Therefore, the south west governors are in order to float Amotekun to curtail security threat in the region.”
Arguing that the governors have not flouted any law, Pa. Kiyomi said to be effective as chief security officers of their states, the governors could create a body to oversee security of their states at grassroots levels and operation.
“Amotekun is one of such organs that could guarantee security in the states,” he said.
He stressed that in the United States of America, there are five security outfits in each state, including local, county and state police apart from the central security organs of the armed forces and police.