The declaration of the Attorney General of the federation declaring Southwest Security Network, codenamed Operation Amotekun as illegal is a de javu given the fact that the body language of the Presidency on insecurity in the Southwest long before the launch of Operation Amotekun was worrisome.
The Federal Government’s chicken has not only come home to roost, it has also portrayed the Federal Government to be pandering to a known theory of regional dominance.
The popular dictum says what is good for the goose is good for the gander. In this wise, the pronouncement of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice has shown that all is not well with the Federal structure.
The declaration of Amotekun as illegal is uncompllimentary to the security wellness of the people of the Southwest. In the face of daunting insecurity in the Southwest which represents the failure of internal security architecture, Operation Amotekun is expedient and should be made to stand and succeed.
In this wise, the spirit of the law is expedient and dynamic because it is a question of securing people practically and seamlessly. If Hisbah is not illegal, Amotekun cannot be drowned. If Joint Task Force creation was a response to some security challenges in the North East, Operation Amotekun is also a response to security concerns in the Southwest, Nigeria.
Oyesoji Aremu is a Professor of Counselling and Criminal Justice, University of Ibadan
