Nobel Laurette, Prof Wole Soyinka, has urged critics of the Western Nigeria Security Outfit codenamed Operation Amotekun to go back to sleep.
This is coming on the heels of the Tuesday declaration of the security task force as illegal by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN).
Recall that the task force was inaugurated launched in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital last week by governors of states in the South-West region to curtail the gale of insecurity in the region. The governors said the task force would assist the police in keeping the region secure.
Upon the declaration of Amotekun as illegal by Malami, Soyinka who spoke in Lagos said the critics who failed to speak when security breaches were reported in the region should not come out to speak now.
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While noting that Amotekun has come to stay, he noted that citizens have the right to defend themselves against attacks by perpetrators of evil.
Soyinka said he had made his concerns about the insecurity in the country at different times in the past including a memo to the then military governor of the Western State, Maj.-Gen. David Jemibewon (retd), a meeting with the late National Security Adviser, Gen. Owoeye Azazi (retd) and a meeting with the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, in his Abeokuta, Ogun State home.
He said,” Some people who have been sleeping all this time, taking belated actions, watching the people being decimated… and telling us that this initiative is illegal. They should go back to sleep. Amotekun has come to stay.”
and then