The Arewa Initiative For Peaceful Co-Existence in Southern Nigeria, Ile-Ife/Osun State Chapter, has throw its weight behind the newly formed Western Nigeria Security Network code-named Operation Amotekun.
According to a statement signed by Ahmed S. Salihu (Sarkin Youth), the leader of the group being the umbrella body for all Hausa-Fulani people and youths in Southern Nigeria in affiliation with other counterparts in other regions and states of the federation, stated that the newly launched Operation Amotekun is a good initiative by the Southwest governors to protect its people in a system where government shows injustice and lack of fairness openly.
The statement read: “My good people and elders sentiment aside ‘Operation Amotekun is a good initiative in a system where government shows injustice and lack of fairness openly. We are not Yoruba but when we see the truth we have to to say it boldly. Should Nigerian people seat down helplessly and allow dreaded Armed Bandits Herdsmen to kill them like animal? The answer is no, as a Northerner I want to tell you that our problems as a people is leadership/injustice, if the Herdsmen were to be from Southwest, this federal government under President Buhari will have declared them Terrorist.
“I equally salute the uncommon unity and indefatigable courage of the Southwest Governors and good people of Yoruba Land shown so far, while I call on Mr Abubarka Malami SAN the Minister of Justice to refrain and withdraw his earlier declaration of Operation Amotekun as illegal, and urgently call for peaceful harmonization of the program, which is genuinely interested in complementing the efforts of the nation’s security agencies such as Nigeria Police, DSS, NSCDC and others in providing community policing assistance on intelligence gathering and information tips on dangerous evil areas and nooks of Yoruba Land, specifically against all dreaded criminals, not mainly the Fulani armed bandits alone but zero tolerance for all forms of criminality in the Southwest for the overall good and welfare of all inhabitants living in the Southwest, precipitating our unanimous resolve to provide all technical supports and information to the Operation Amotekun when fully operational.
“Most unfortunately our Northern elders and some bought over youths are only creating problem for us with their misguided and provocative utterances and incitement actions, especially those of us living outside the North. I always say kudos to these serious minded people who are very much ready to honour and consolidate on this important component on their social contact with their electorates, my advice to our Elders and Youths is that they should stop arming youths with guns, drugs and other dangerous ideologies after being used for political and religious wars, they will be dumped and end up becoming a threat to the government and communities at large.”
‘Operation Amotekun’ which has its headquarters in Gbongan in Osun State, will take off with 120 patrol vehicles for the policing of the six states, Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo and Ogun state. Personnel will include hunters, OPC members and others.
Packaged by Lanre Olabisi
