• Fault political meaning to the security initiative
• Say each state will enact its own legislation
Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan
The Attorneys-General of the six states in the Southwest geo-political zone at the weekend approved a draft bill for the establishment of the Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSN), a regional security outfit codenamed Operation Amotekun.
Contrary to the positions of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and some northern interest, the region’s chief law officers entirely dispelled speculation that the regional security outfit was founded for political reasons.
They disclosed the new feat at the Davies Hotel, Ibadan Friday night after a close-door meeting, which all the attorneys-general attended with the exception of Lagos State.
The attorneys-general were Prof. Oyelowo Oyewo, Oyo; Mr. Oluwafemi Akande, Osun; Mr. Olawale Fapohunda, Ekiti; Mr. Adekola Olawole and Ondo; Mr. Akingbolahan Adeniran, Ogun.
The Commissioner of Justice and Attorney-General of Lagos State, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo sent the state’s Director of Civil Litigation, Mr S. A. Quadri to represent him.
Also, the Director General of DAWN Commission, Mr. Seye Oyeleye led some official of the commission to attend the meeting, which started at about 7:00 p.m. Friday night.
With the legal framework, each of the states in the region will enact its own legislation and establish its own security network operatives, which will bear the name Amotekun Corps.
Addressing journalists after the meeting in company of his counterparts, Oyewo denied insinuations of any political meaning to the reason the meeting could not hold on Thursday as scheduled.
According to him, logistics and the challenges of the office of Attorneys-General in the various South-west states necessitated the change in the meeting day.
Giving details of the legal framework, he said the draft bill would be sent to the various state Houses of Assemblies after it has been seen by the State Executive Councils(SEC) of the respective states.
He stated that the operational details and structural procedures of the security outfit would be uniform across the six states, to allow for collaboration amongst the states.
Oyewo reiterated that the security outfit “will complement the existing security structures in the country. Operation Amotekun will be using the local intelligence.”
He said the bill would not take too long before being passed into law by the states, noting that the meeting of the Attorneys-General of the six South West states just concluded.
He said: “We deliberated on the plan to evolve a collaborative security network/agency in the region. We have been able to come up with a legal framework to back the establishment of such security network in each of the states.
“So each of the state will have its own legislation and its own security network corps that will bear the name Amotekun Corps,” the Oyo attorney-general explained.
