By ADEOLA BADRU
In a bid to create an operational legal framework for the smooth take-off of the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun,’ the six southwest states attorneys-general on Friday night, converged in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital to jointly agree on establishing a legal framework to create Amotekun Corps in the six southwest states.
The meeting which lasted for almost two hours was on the instance of the need to review the legal aspects of the Operation Amotekun and the submission of the report of the three-member committee set up to thoroughly study the security outfit and to come up with the best way to provide legal backing for Amotekun.
Sequel to the Friday’s convergence of the attorneys-general in Ibadan, the chief law officers, had last month, held a similar meeting, which bothered on the legal aspects of the newly launched Amotekun in relation to the Nigerian constitution and statutory security agencies.
Recall that Amotekun which was launched on January 9 at the Governor’s Office, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, was declared illegal by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami.
He said the regional outfit was incongruent with the Nigerian constitution, also pointing out that his office was not carried along in the process of establishing the security outfit.
Since Malami’s declaration, several lawyers have argued that each state should have provided legal backing for the outfit because governors are the chief security officers of their states.
However, the attorney general’s meeting thought the need for the six states to be in agreement and on the same page on the outfit to enable the region to speak with one voice on Amotekun.
Several Yoruba socio-cultural groups have in the process, staged rallies in support of the security outfit in the six-state capitals.
They insisted that Amotekun must not be killed or politicised because it is a community policing system that would help protect everyone living in the southwest against kidnappers and other criminals.
The meeting of the chief law officers came after several engagements by the six governors as they sought both political and legal solutions to the logjam over Amotekun.
While briefing newsmen after the end of the closed-door meeting, held at Davis Hotel, Bodija, Ibadan, the Oyo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Professor Oyelowo Oyewo, who spoke on behalf of other attorneys-general from Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti and Lagos, stated that the gathering enabled them to come up with a legal framework to back up the establishment of security network in each of the states.
He added that each southwest state would have to own its legislation and its own security network corps that would be bearing ‘Amotekun Corps.’
He noted that there would be a standard operating procedure that would be in common, which he said, would create an avenue for collaboration between the states to work together
Prof. Oyewo added that the security network would work in collaboration and as a complementary network with the police and security agencies and armed forces, pointing out that it would depend on local people because of local intelligence.
His words: “There will be standard operating procedure that will also be in common and there will be an avenue for collaboration between the states to work together.”
“It must be stated that the security network will be working in collaboration and as a complementary network with the police and security agencies and armed forces. We will be depending on our local people because of local intelligence.”
“We have been able to come up with a legal framework to back up such establishment of security network in each of the states. So each of the state will have its own legislation and its own security network corp that will bear the name Amotekun Corps. By next week, it will go to the state houses of assembly after it has passed through the exco of each of the states.”
“We just want to allay the fears of anybody that has fears that this is just part of the ways to impart the security architecture in Nigeria, to protect lives and property. We have been emphasising section 14 of the constitution imposes a duty, a primary duty, on the federal, state and local governments to secure lives and property and that is exactly what the states here present are doing,” he added.
When asked if the new security outfit will be licensed to carry arms, ammunition and wear uniforms, Prof Oyewo said: “Yes, of course, the carrying of arms is legislated by law and the Amotekun outfit will comply with all the laws of the land.”
Those present at the meeting were the attorneys-general of Ondo State, Adekola Olawoye SAN; Osun State, Oluwafemi Akande; Ekiti State, Olawale Fapohunda; Ogun State, Akingbolahan Adeniran and Lagos, Moyosore Onigbanjo, represented by S.A. Quadri (director of civil litigations).
