By Kayode Awojobi
The Southwest Security Network popularly known as Amotekun was conceptualised by the six governors in the southwestern part of Nigeria in other to tackle the oppressors of securities of lives and properties in the Yorubaland.
It was accepted with the hope that it will aid unity in the region. However, there are certain trends that have started making people to ask if these were also part of the mandate of this security outfit
What does Amotekun have to do with checkmating dressing, hairstyle, motorcycle full-light amongst others? This keeps bothering me as I don’t know if the aforementioned happened to be part of the modalities in fighting against insecurity in our region.
The operation of the outfit was created in order to reduce the problem of inadequate manpower in the Nigeria Police Force as they would complement the police in undertaking more robust routine patrols in the nooks and cranny of the region.
The initiative was also to serve as a grassroots intelligence network for conventional security. It is expected that they would gather information about the crimes and suspicious activities for interpretation and proper action from the communities.
The nature of the assignments of the outfit in combating criminality such as kidnapping, armed robbery, ritual killing, herdsmen/farmer clash may lead them to go beyond the boundary of just provide intelligent for police. Sometimes, they may need to act beyond just provide intelligent about criminality, but attack and arrest criminals, even without proper notification of the police.
In the Oke-ogun part of Oyo State such as Iwajowa, Itesiwaju, there have been a series of kidnapping and maiming in recent times. This has created fear in the heart of the people in this region as people cannot even move around the region freely without the fear of being potential victims of unknown men usually tagged as herdsmen or bandits.
Although it was gathered that those behind these recent attacks in the region are Fulani herdsmen, whichever the case, I think it is high time Amotekun operatives, who were recruited and trained to combat the oppressor of peace in Yorubaland, stood up to the task of protecting the lives and properties of the people in cooperation with other security operatives in the state.
Dear Amotekun, the lives of Yorubas are at risk as this is not the time to be checking hairstyles, dressings and other frivolities at this point in time. It is time for you to bring out the real attribute of an Amotekun in you and secure the lives and properties back to the region.
I want to implore all stakeholders that have to do with Amotekun to do all that is necessary about the issue on the ground before the people will eventually lose interest and trust in them just as the case of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit of the police.
There is nothing too big in securing the lives and properties of the citizen, which is the primary function of any government.
The spate at which people are being attacked in the southwestern part of the country is really getting alarming. Our traditional institutions are being desecrated because of all these security lapses. Would Amotekun make a difference? Your guess is as good as mine.