By Kemi Kasumu
*If police didn’t fail security, Amotekun won’t be – Respondent
*Asks government to get tougher against police inadequacies leading to insecurity
The Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore has warned leaders of Yoruba race carrying on with Amotekun to realise that there can be nobody or group of individuals who has more security intelligence than the Police.
It reportedly therefore called on the Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to arrest such leaders promoting the establishment of the new regional security outfit.
Recall that Governors in the South West region had established and inaugurated the security outfit to curb the menace of herdsmen attacks in their region, which some members of the race had argued is wrong to make the security effort look like established to fight ethnic war.
Those expressing reservations about Amotekun are citing intention for which it was constituted, which they believe is shrouded in secrecy and thus dangerous for national security of Nigeria.
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), headquartered in the South West, says the outfit, by insincerity and lack of clarity of its planners, is an already clear display of Christianization and Islamophobia, citing the acceptance of birth certificates issued only by churches in a region where Muslims are arguably “in the majority”
In a statement on Friday by director of MURIC, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, questions were raised to know who ordered registration of Amotekun membership in churches. This latest revelation confirmed the fear expressed in WAKE UP earlier in the week, an opinion article titled, “Amotekun and the rest of us”, where it was revealed that the six governors, mainly Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, were taking advice from Afenifere and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) without minding what the feelings of Muslims in the region are about the regional security outfit, whose leaders have said they would use fetish powers to fight their perceived enemies.
The article pointed out that South West security challenge needs to be tackled but through legal means and generally acceptable approach, not one by which some people “hypocritically” impose their religious or fetish beliefs on others in a region, according to them, they all own, and expect the problem they intend to solve will not increase.
Yoruba leaders like Prof. Woke Soyinka, an Ogun idol worshipper, Chief Gani Adams, Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) leader, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu, Governor of Ondo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde, Governor of Oyo State have been loud insisting that there will be no going back on Amotekun.
However, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami had said the security outfit is illegal.
In an interview with the Sun, the National President General of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Alhaji Bello Abdullahi Bodejo said FG should not just stop at banning the outfit but should arrest those involved in making decisions for its creation with immediate effect.
Bodejo added, “I read it on the internet. However, it would have been a good development, if the national security agencies – the Army, the Police, the DSS, the Civil Defence, etc, were not living up to expectations.
“Will Amotekun have more security intelligence than these national security organizations? The answer is no.
“Anything security should be left with those security organisations, so, I don’t know the reason for this one from the Southwest, except that it has sinister motive.
“Look at how the vigilantes are causing troubles all over; there is what is called interest in setting up this type of thing. Look at Zamfara where the vigilantes and the Fulani are having issues.
“They should not only ban it, but should arrest the leaders of this group. Like I said earlier, nobody or group has more security intelligence than the Police. The Army is doing enough; the DSS is also doing enough, likewise the Civil Defence.
“They are just doing all these things in order to stop the Fulani from coming into their area; it is just a hidden agenda to prevent the Fulani herdsmen from grazing in their God-given areas.
“If you say you set up Amotekun to protect your region, what about the Northern Nigeria, what about the Southeast and the South-South and other places that don’t have that kind of thing. Nigeria is one; everything is one, unless they want to divide the country.
“I know some of their leaders have good hearts, but others have evil hearts, and those are the ones coming up with this agenda that the Fulani can’t do this and the Fulani can’t do that; all these things are happening because of Fulani; they are just against the Fulani.
“I support 100 percent the federal government banning it; and the leaders should be arrested. It is a deliberate plot against the Fulani.
“How many Fulani have been involved in crime and criminal activities in the area? Go and check, those people they have been parading as criminals are not Fulani; if they see a Fulani with his cattle inside the bush, they will be calling the Commissioner of Police, DPO, Area Commander and other personalities that they have caught a Fulani committing one crime or the other.
“The moment this is done, the herdsman is scared and he would be made to sell all his cows to free himself from that wicked accusation, that is why you see some of these people are jumping from here to here supporting illegalities and they have their aim.”
A respondent, whose name was said not to be revealed, told The DEFENDER that if the Federal Government says it does not want Amotekun, “then it should give the people what they want. They need security of their lives and properties. They need to be able to sleep with their two eyes closed and their bushes and high wats need to be free of kidnappers, their communities need to be free of ritual killers, hoodlums and cultists terrorising them day and night.
“If the police did not fail in delivering security, why should there be need for a tribe asking for security outfit to protect themselves? Although I have my reservations about the Amotekun but if you don’t want it, give them what they want. Get tougher on police inadequacies whereby people are not sure of who is really doing policing with patriotism and who is not,” he said.
