A United Kingdom trained lawyer and chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party in Ekiti state, Mr. Yemi Ayodele -Ayeni has declared that the newly inaugurated Western Nigeria Security Network codenamed ‘Operation Amotekun’ has not violated any provisions in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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The lawyer in a statement made available to Saturday Tribune in Ado-Ekiti said that the governors were empowered by the constitution to ensure the protection of the lives and property of the people.
Ayeni said, ” From a legal mind, this is a security outfit, not a police force. It would have been a flagrant contradiction to section 214 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) if it had been called the police force. Subsection 1 of this section provides that ” there shall be a police force for Nigeria, which shall be known as the Nigeria Police Force, and subject to the provisions of this section NO OTHER POLICE FORCE shall be established for the Federation or any part thereof.”
” Subsection 2 (a and c) of this section emphasised the provisions as a competence of the National Assembly under the Exclusive list, which means no state or region can legislate upon.
” If Amotekun is not designed to be called police, it has not contradicted the constitution of the country, and they are good to go. The Governors have obligations to protect their people.”
The lawyer, while commending the stakeholders in the region for the initiative, he explained that the six southwest governors should move a step further by sending a bill to the House of Assembly establishing the new security outfit.
” Notwithstanding, I believe there should be legislation by the House of Assembly of each state in the region establishing this security outfit to ascertain legitimacy. If not done, the activities of the establishment may become hooks and prawns in the court of law.