No hidden agenda in establishing Operation Amotekun ― DAWN Commission DG

Director-General, Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, Mr Seye Oyeleye, has described any notion that the Western Nigeria Security Network codenamed Operation Amotekun was launched with a hidden agenda as only being mischievous.

According to Oyeleye, the outfit was launched solely as a regional collaborative effort aimed at providing security and combating crimes in the South-West geopolitical zone.

It would be recalled that a Northern group, Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) had described last Thursday’s launch of Operation Amotekun as a threat to national security and an attempt to jeopardize the nation’s sovereignty.

Further arguing that Operation Amotekun was an offshoot of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), the Northern group had condemned the outfit as one in the same league with the proscribed IPOB terrorist organisation.

However, Oyeleye, in a series of tweets on his Twitter handle @seye0121 and retweeted on the DAWN Commission’s handle @DAWNCommission, at the weekend, maintained that the outfit was not to settle any political scores or serve as alternative police or army.

He stressed that the outfit was established in line with principles of a true federal system where constituent units were expected to take care of their affairs, such as policing.

“There is no hidden agenda with Amotekun or Western Nigeria Security Network at large, it is community policing on a regional level, anyone that reads ulterior motive to it is only being mischievous. Nigeria needs all hands on deck to take it to the next level. Amotekun is a step.

ALSO READ: 

“Western Nigeria Security Network of which Amotekun is a part, must be seen purely as a regional collaborative effort at providing security, it is not alternative police or army and it will never be used to settle political scores. It will be guided by strict ‘omoluabi’ values.

“A Region that contributes close to 45 per cent of the country’s GDP, must do everything within its constitutional capacity to provide adequate security lest it loses that position. Poverty will quickly visit an environment where insecurity thrives. Amotekun is a start.

“Policing in advanced climes starts from the community level, it is the best way to prevent crime or solve it when committed; the days of sitting in Abuja and policing Itawure or Nkalagu are long gone. In a truly federal system, security is the responsibility of every level of government,” Oyeleye tweeted.

With the recruitment of personnel for the outfit expected to follow, Oyeleye assured of a thorough screening process where only people of impeccable character will be engaged.

“Western Nigeria Security Network will be peopled by men and women of impeccable character who have been properly vetted and cleared; this is an outfit that will be solely responsible to the people and in return, they feel comfortable dealing with them,” Oyeleye added.