SOMETHING fundamental happened to the Nigerian federation last week. It was small but within it is a greaterĀ 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. OfĀ the six zones,Yorubaland is the first to create a skeletal outfit with capacity and capabilities to be awakened and deployed inĀ Ā service of the motherland. Political leaders in the regionĀ may have been guided by considerations and developmentsĀ beyond Nigeria. I bet there is a transnational perspective toĀ Amotekunās emergence.
Contrary to what most analysts identified,the threat toĀ Yoruba nation is multinational rather than solely national inĀ outlook. In fact, the national threat most Yoruba are quickĀ to a finger is itself under brutal siege of highly equippedĀ andĀ trained transnational bandits. Deep review of developmentĀ across North East and North West region confirm thatĀ theĀ source of threat Yoruba is afraid of are themselves underĀ a brutal onslaught from forces beyond their control.
Most northerners, including those in a government, areĀ themselves seeking protection, and security from deepeningĀ 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 afraidĀ of is itself in trouble, as northerners are killed, maimed andĀ assaulted by blood thirsty transnational criminal warriors.
The preceding thus implies that the significance ofĀ Amotekun transcends national politics. It is a strategic moveĀ toĀ create a popular front to back up already overstretchedĀ and badly equipped security forces. The concept of popularĀ mobilisation forces is gaining an increasing currencyĀ 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 andĀ protects law abiding citizens from free for all reign of terror by bandits Leaders of the South-West especially the stateĀ governors eaders are those who foresee and pre-plan for uncertain eventualities. In an era of unpredictability,thoseĀ who survive have wider vision, and near precise analysis of events that are yet to happen. This is another golden example of āAjiseĀ bi Oyo…ā
It is equally sacrosanct to repeat what the South WestĀ governors said at the launching of the security outfit.
Governor Kayode Fayemi with a PhD in War Studies stated as follows: āAmotekun 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 toĀ create fear in the mind of anybody, as we are not creating a regional police force, and are fully aware of the steps we mustĀ takeĀ to have the state police. We do not want anybody toĀ misconstrue the concept of Amotekun. It was in the contextĀ of theĀ unfortunate development that we lost the daughterĀ of Pa Rueben Fasanranti, the leader of Afenifere. And thatĀ furtherĀ put pressure on us, as leaders in the Southwest, to doĀ something about insecurity. As elected leaders, our primaryĀ responsibility, according to Section 14 (2) of the NigerianĀ Constitution 1999 as amended, is the security andĀ welfareĀ of citizens.That was what informed the governors comingĀ together to fashion out a way to complement theĀ work of theĀ mainstream security agencies overstretched in their effortsĀ to arrest the menace that have afflicted theĀ entire country.ā
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. ItĀ is not a regional armed force, nor a regional police.
It will function within the existing official security structures,Ā though manned by many retired security personnel from
the region. It is gratifying to note that Yoruba leaders, evenĀ amidst recriminations over the status quo, are still ableĀ to hold out a flag of preparedness for all possibilities. It isĀ therefore a really interesting, and intriguing reading howĀ leaders of other regions are grappling to respond to thisĀ innovative but potent step. It must have dawned on all thatĀ Yoruba are not ācowardsā afterwards.
- Rasheed, publisher of Sahel Standard, writes from Abuja