NewsCrimeSouth West States Launch Amotekun Amid Intrigues

South West States Launch Amotekun Amid Intrigues

January 9, 2020

By Uche Mbah

South west governors were on hand to launch the zonal security outfit, Amotekun which they say is meant to checkmate the activities of the Alleged herdsmen attacks and other security issues bedevilling the zone.

it is expected that the outfit will absorb the already existing socio-cultural group, Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC. In fact, many saw it as an expanded mandate for the OPC.

OPC was founded by Frederick Faseun, but a faction of it became more militant. Faseun was later to be relegated and the leader of the radical faction, Ganiyu Adams, rose to limelight, after battling with the then Federal authorities and suffering detention.

Currently, Gani Adams, who is also at the forefront of the new outfit, is the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, a title he took over from MKO Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the June 12 presidential Elections.

Hunters and members of the various vigilante groups are expected to be co-opted into the outfit.Initially, there was apprehension by the National security Agencies over the project, who tended to view it as acquiring state police through the back door. The debate for the establishment of state police is still on, and it has not been backed by any law. But the Magazine was informed that a working cooperation between the outfit and security agencies has been agreed upon, and finally the Inspector General of Police gave the nod to the establishment of the group.

Governor Sheyi Makinde, governor of Oyo state, after the launch, tweeted:

“Six months ago, the six governors of South West Nigeria states; Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo met in Ibadan and agreed to set up a regional collaborative security agency. Today, we launched Àmọ̀tẹ́kùn, The Western Nigeria Security Network.”

Initially, there were some of the western leaders who are eying positions at the federal level, who were actually reported to be sitting on the fence, but at the final count, all the South western governors were around for the launch.