Indisputably, the indigenous security outfit set up by state governors of the South West geo-political zone, Operation Amotekun, was birthed by the alarming insecurity in the country. By the constitution, the President is the chief security officer of the nation. The ‘chief’ which is synonymous with principal suggests there are subordinates. Perceptively, governors are sub-chief security officers in their respective states. It is comparable to the Inspector-General of Police and the Commissioners of Police in various state Commands.
Over the years, communities set up vigilante groups to complement the conventional security agencies in protecting their environments. No sane persons will fold their hands and wait for Police that are insufficient and under-equipped. Evidently, many villages in the country don’t have a police post let alone equipping them adequately. In other words, majority of the masses are actually on their own. Hence, complementing the conventional security agencies becomes germane.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami recently declared Amotekun illegal despite the fact that a religious police, HISBAR has existed in the north since 2003 without such objection. Or, is it probable that Malami is a religious and ethnic bigot who is merely influenced by personal interests? For about five years that Malami has been in office as AGF, not even once had he condemned any atrocities from his region or religion.
Since the inception of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in 2015, thousands of innocent citizens across many states have lost their lives to Fulani herdsmen’s attacks. Their records are not different from Boko Haram insurgencies. Most of the incidents occurred at midnight when their victims were asleep. These extremists were always armed with cutlasses and lethal weapons including AK-47 guns. The rebels are callous to the extent that ambushing a whole village doesn’t take them anything. As a matter of fact, they have reduced human beings to cows, goats and rams that are slaughtered cheaply in abattoirs.
Churches are not left out. Worshippers in churches had been ambushed and massacred many times even while holding night vigils. Peoples’ farmlands are repeatedly destroyed with impunity, and nothing has happened. Ordinary condemnations from the federal government are rarely made. Recently, a chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Lawal Andimi, was gruesomely murdered. Yet, the office of the AGF maintained its usual silence on such atrocities.
On many occasions, the Miyetti-Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) had openly claimed responsibility for homicides and threatened to do more except given free access to other peoples’ farmlands for cattle rearing. The most painful aspect is that ordinary arrests are seldom carried out not to talk about arraignment in the court. Consequently, citizens live in fear in their own lands while herdsmen are shielded and portrayed as lords to their victims. Recently, the group charged South West governors to dump Amotekun or forget 2023 presidency.
Of course, by the composition of the security chiefs to favour the northern region against federal character in the nation’s constitution, no one should be shocked to encounter such outrageous developments.
Recently, the publisher of Sahara Reporters and convener of #RevolutionNow, Omoleye Sowore, was eventually released from unlawful detention after a court granted him bail even with stringent conditions which he met but the federal government ignored the court orders. Luck also smiled at Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) as he benefitted from the ‘largesse’ by being released, possibly to balance the calculation.
Not a simple apology was tendered by Malami over such monumental blunders; instead, he boldly professed he ordered their release out of self-pity and discretion. It means Malami as the AGF exercises superior powers to override orders of the court on perceived ‘illegalities’. Or will court rulings unfavourable to the government amount to illegalities and to be righted by the AGF? This is, indeed, absurd in a democracy and must be condemned.
Similarly, under Malami, law graduates of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) have continued to roam the streets after qualifying for admission into the Nigerian Law School despite President Buhari’s assent to the NOUN (Amendment) Act to resolve the crisis. By the Council of Legal Education Act, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice gives directives to the Council.
The exposed gimmicks so far leave much to be desired from the chief law officer of the federation. A law officer mustn’t only be officially qualified but ethically sound too. Unbelievably, Malami was accused of covertly urging a court to dismiss the NOUN law graduates’ applications as ineligible for admission into the law school. Impliedly, Malami declared NOUN ‘an illegal institution’. At the same time, artfully hosting and cajoling the graduates to opt out of litigation with assurances to resolve it speedily. Immediately the matter became statute-barred, Malami showed his true colour and dumped the NOUN law graduates.
Luckily, Buhari later gave assent to the Amendment Act, thereby remedied the claimed controversial clause. All these show that detractors of the government are not outsiders. Many times, allegations suggest that some insiders are possibly sponsoring insecurity in the country for selfish interests. By the outbursts from some quarters over setting up of Amotekun to complement the orthodox security agencies, believably, some powerful persons have skeletons in their cupboards. The herdsmen’s overindulgences indicate that some ‘powerful’ persons are sponsoring and shielding them from justice.
Sensibly, what is needed is to ensure that Amotekun collaborates with national security agencies. That’s esprit de corps. But to hurriedly declare it illegal is not only a drift but a bunkum. Emphatically, state governors have a duty to secure citizens in their respective states. Even local governments and villages have a duty to secure their environments too. In most well-to-do homes, security guards are deployed to secure the families. Could that be declared illegal too?
Of course, suspects apprehended by the neighbourhood watch must be handed over to the Police for prosecution, accordingly. No sensible person will watch how citizens, particularly Christians and southerners are murdered, butchered uncontrollably every now and then, and condemn the robust ideas by Southwest state governments. In fact, other geo-political zones should urgently think outside the box too.
Interestingly, positive minds have zeroed Malami’s action. President Yemi Osinbajo has been commended for his intervention. However, it must be noted that everything has an expiry date. Time has come to end terrorizations and killings of citizens by blood-thirsty herdsmen and criminal elements.
Adegbola, a social commentator, wrote from Lagos.