The real significance of Amotekun

SOMETHING fundamental happened to the Nigerian federation last week. It was small but within it is a greater  maximal political implication, especially for the much debated restructuring of the skewed federal structure. The South West region of Nigeria has consciously set the tone for national reforms in the security sub-sector. The emergence of Amotekun is a bold message and strategic positioning of the region in the envisaged future balancing of power within the federation. What is significant is the structure itself, and not the mobilisation or the available ammunition. Of  the six zones,Yorubaland is the first to create a skeletal outfit with capacity and capabilities to be awakened and deployed in  service of the motherland. Political leaders in the region may have been guided by considerations and developments beyond Nigeria. I bet there is a transnational perspective to Amotekun’s emergence.

Contrary to what most analysts identified,the threat to Yoruba nation is multinational rather than solely national in outlook. In fact, the national threat most Yoruba are quick to a finger is itself under brutal siege of highly equipped  and trained transnational bandits. Deep review of development across North East and North West region confirm that  the source of threat Yoruba is afraid of are themselves under a brutal onslaught from forces beyond their control.

Most northerners, including those in a government, are themselves seeking protection, and security from deepening low scale insurgency that seems to be defying all solutions.

The mess has degraded state Chief executives who had to openly romance and appease bandits, cattle rustlers, invidious jihadists and criminal insurgents. The threat that the South-West posits to tackle with Amotekun is from Greater Sahel, wider Sahara, and Middle East. With Libya degenerating,with Sahel region boiling, with Niger Republic bleeding, with Benin Republic as an explosion waiting to happen, and with multinational forces with dubious records and with Cameroon deeply engulfed in unannounced civil war, the spillover into Nigeria is envisaged. Weapons and Insurgents streaming into Nigeria with the porous border is an established happening,painting the northern region as a cloudy battle zone. The movement of bandits down South ,eyeing the luxurious life of coastal areas is real and therefore demanding immediate action. Worst still,the infiltrators bear all signs of Sahelian insurgents masquerading and defying surveillance of ill equipped official security networks. Put more frankly, the North that Yoruba traditionalists are afraid of is itself in trouble, as northerners are killed, maimed and assaulted by blood thirsty transnational criminal warriors.

The preceding thus implies that the significance of Amotekun transcends national politics. It is a strategic move to  create a popular front to back up already overstretched and badly equipped security forces. The concept of popular mobilisation forces is gaining an increasing currency worldwide, as it guarantees local preparedness in case the

official security architecture fail to counter insurgents and transnational bandits. This is a response to development within a Nigeria state that is perceived to be incapable or unwilling to secure internal security and  protects law abiding citizens from free for all reign of terror by bandits Leaders of the South-West especially the state  governors eaders are those who foresee and pre-plan for uncertain eventualities. In an era of unpredictability,those  who survive have wider vision, and near precise analysis of events that are yet to happen. This is another golden example of ‘Ajise bi Oyo…’

It is equally sacrosanct to repeat what the South West governors said at the launching of the security outfit.

Governor Kayode Fayemi with a PhD in War Studies stated as follows: “Amotekun is a complement that will give our people confidence that they are being looked after by those they elected into office. So, we do not want this to  create fear in the mind of anybody, as we are not creating a regional police force, and are fully aware of the steps we must take  to have the state police. We do not want anybody to misconstrue the concept of Amotekun. It was in the context of the  unfortunate development that we lost the daughter of Pa Rueben Fasanranti, the leader of Afenifere. And that further  put pressure on us, as leaders in the Southwest, to do something about insecurity. As elected leaders, our primary responsibility, according to Section 14 (2) of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 as amended, is the security and  welfare of citizens.That was what informed the governors coming together to fashion out a way to complement the  work of the mainstream security agencies overstretched in their efforts to arrest the menace that have afflicted the  entire country.”

That clarification implies the commitment and loyalty of South West leaders to the supreme constitution and integrity of the republic. Amotekun is thus a smart creation designed to fill gaps and secure the lives and properties of Yoruba. It  is not a regional armed force, nor a regional police.

It will function within the existing official security structures, though manned by many retired security personnel from

the region. It is gratifying to note that Yoruba leaders, even amidst recriminations over the status quo, are still able to hold out a flag of preparedness for all possibilities. It is therefore a really interesting, and intriguing reading how leaders of other regions are grappling to respond to this innovative but potent step. It must have dawned on all that Yoruba are not ‘cowards’ afterwards.

• Rasheed, publisher of Sahel Standard, writes from Abuja