The Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, has denied ever saying that the launched South west security outfit, Amotekun, is an illegal organization then sent out another press release declaring it illegal. This is coming on the heels of yesterday’s Tinubu’s equivocation on the issue, where he defended both the South west and Malami’s position in the same breath.
Recall that two days before the launch of the security outfit, Bola Tinubu visited Aso Rock where he had a closed door meeting with Buhari. Two days later, Amotekun was launched, and Malami immediately came out to denounce it as illegal. This resulted in cyber outrage, with so many people, including human rights Lawyer, Femi Falana, and Nobel Laurette, Wole Soyinka, throwing their weights behind it. In fact, his comments appeared to have united the south west in defiance.
But Tinubu kept mute. In fact, he and Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo olu, were conspicuously absent in the launch of what the Northern elites have several times described as the South west getting an ethnic militia using the backdoor. When the demand for him to take a stand took center stage, Sanwolu appointed a Katsina indigene Commissioner for Inland Waterways-a controversial appointment judging from the fact that the fight for the control of the inland waterways have been at the front burner of confrontation between the south west and the Presidency.
Katsina is the Home state of President Buhari.
With pressure mounting on Tinubu to make a statement, he finally came out with a long winding compromise statement that analysts believe was geared towards dousing tension rather that taking a stand.
Barely twenty four hours later, Malami made a U-turn on his stance while responding to a question during a chat on Radio Nigeria Abuja Thursday morning.
“I was misinterpreted on Operation Amotekun, I did not say it’s Illegal”, he said.
“I said the Operation Amotekun should be properly back by law, so if at the end of this Government, if the Operation has been backed by law, any Government that eventually succeeded this government will not rubbish the Operation.
“I said if they failed to enact a law in support of Amotekun in the South West Region of Nigeria, another government can come and say it’s Illegal and this is because it is not backed up by any law.
“So, It is just an advice to the state governors to use their power and the State Houses of Assembly in their various states to enact a law that will make the Operation more effective.”
In the afternoon, Malami recanted-yet again-and declared the outfit illegal for a second time.
In a release signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Dr Umar Gwandu, Malami said:
“No amount of effort to hide the truth will work. People could be carried away by sentimental or emotional inclinations, but the truth remains apparently palpable. The bottom line is that the current Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria does not accommodate the formation of regional security architecture.
“This is a fact which is undisputable and undeniable. Mr Falana was prevaricating and circumlocuting using evasive techniques when he was asked by the media to justify the presence of lacuna within the law which could establish or protect the concept of regionalism in any operation in the country.
“This arrangement called Amotekun is not backed by any law neither at the State nor at the Federal Government level. Amotekun, therefore, remains unconstitutional and illegal as already indicated. “The Federal Government appreciates that legally-minded Nigerians have started to eschew emotions by offering legal comments on the matter as against being carried away by other inclinations.
“The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice is committed to the rule of law and a constitutional democratic Federal Republic of Nigeria,”
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