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Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Patron of Yoruba Community in Benue State and Chairman, Tito Group of Companies, Asiwaju Isaac Akinkunmi, has called on South-West governors to join forces with other governors from other regions who are facing common security challenges for a federal constitutional amendment that would allow for the creation of state police forces.
Akinkunmi, who gave the advice in a statement made available to Sunday Sun, said that the creation of state police forces would be a better check on security challenges in the country than regional security initiatives like ‘Operation Amotekun’.
“Whatever reason anybody has against state police cannot override the security advantages of having it. Nigeria police under one central command from history and recent events cannot alone police a country as vast as Nigeria,” Akinkunmi said.
He said that it amounts to a double standard for the Attorney-General to regard Amotekun as illegal in view of other locally-organised security outfits in other states that were not so declared, adding that expending energy on the legality of Amotekun derails the main focus on what should actually be done to address the national security crisis.
“Whether legal or illegal how effective would operation Amotekun be without arms? Even before the declaration of this project as illegal by the Attorney-General of the federation, I have misgivings as to the desirability of the scheme.
“Certain questions beg for answers. Are the ‘soldiers’ of Amotekun going to confront Ak47-wielding kidnappers and bandits with cutlasses, bow and arrows? Are they going to carry weapons which by law are the exclusive preserve of security agencies and run afoul of the law?
“Are the South-West governors still under the illusion of the efficacy of some extraterrestrial and supernatural powers that these recruits and their leaders claim to have?” he asked.
Akinkunmi said that a more pragmatic and sensible way to go about curbing the security impasse plaguing the country is to press for a constitutional amendment that would allow for the creation of state police forces with legal and full authority to carry arms.
He appealed to well-meaning Nigerians, including ethnic organisation’s like Ohanaeze, Afenifere, Arewa, civil society groups and the Nigeria Labour Congress to come out to press for the creation of state police forces.
“The governors should shake off the ridicule of being addressed as chief security officers of their states while in actual sense, lack of instrument to do this makes them just toothless barking dogs.”
The Yoruba leader said state police would complement the Nigeria Police Force and lead to more effective security of the poor and unarmed citizens.
“This is the way to go. We should stop politicising security at the expense of innocent lives which should come first,” Akinkunmi said.
