A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Aare Afe Babalola, on Sunday said that any attempt by the Federal Government or its appendages to terminate the South Western Nigeria security outfits code-named ‘Operation Amotekun’ will fail.

The initiative, according to him, is deeply rooted in the 1999 constitution.

Babalola spoke on Sunday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, while criticising the APC-led federal government over its pronouncement through the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, that the joint security outfit is illegal.

Malami had last Tuesday announced the federal government’s opposition to the initiative, saying Amotekun was illegal and security was meant to be sole responsibility of the Federal Government.

The founder, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti argued that the southwest governors had not erred but only responded to the region yearnings for improved security.

He said this was necessary since the centralised police system had failed to ensure the safety of the life and property of their people.


He recalled that kidnapping, armed robbery, herdsmen/farmers clash and other security challenges prompted the formation of Amotekun as a regional response by the governors to clamp down on the heinous activities of security threats in the southwest.

The legal giant argued further that the governors had the right to protect their people because that was the ultimate responsibility of responsive government, saying Amotekun doesn’t only has its roots in the 1999 Constitution but other previous constitutions.

He said unfortunately Malami relished on the Article 45 second schedule of the 1999 constitution (amended), that gives to the FG the exclusive power to manage the police and forgot that sections 24, 40, 45 imposes clear responsibility on citizens to ensure security of their lives and property.

“The Amotekun outfit is a protective and supportive outfit established by the governors of the Southwest. It has its roots in the 1999 Constitution and the previous constitutions before it – 1960, 1963.

“Section 24 of the constitution provides that ‘it shall be the duty of every citizen to make positive and useful contribution to the advancement, progress and well-being of the community where he resides’. Well-being means security of life and property etc. How many Nigerians realise that they have a duty to assist and to protect the interest of the community and themselves.

“And Section 40 goes further that ‘every person shall be entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons, and in particular, he may form or belong to any political party, trade union or any other association for the protection of his interests’.

“When you put these two together, it shows that all of us have the duty to associate whether as Yoruba people or as state people to ensure that lives and properties are safe. The Amotekun outfit has its roots in the constitution. It is constitutional, it is legal and proper,” he said.

According to him, the Federal Government should rather embrace and key into the initiative instead of trying to kill the laudable initiative, saying “it should immediately thank for what they are doing.

“If this outfit had been established about 10 years ago, we would not have these issues of kidnapping, killing and other security challenges.

“We won’t have those who go to the farms to kill people because they would be fished out. That is why the constitution says that such outfit should report to the police.

“What I have just said is that it is to support the police, support the government in their duty to ensure that there is peace, there is safety of property, safety of lives. It is a good idea. It is belated but it is lawful and constitutional.

“All that the AGF said is that Article 45 of the constitution, second schedule gives to the FG the exclusive power to manage the police, he did not say that sections 20, 40 and 45 are abrogated. They cannot abrogate it.

“The sections I have quoted are superior to the schedule he is talking about and in any event, the governors have not set up a parallel police outfit, what they have done is to set up a supportive and protective organ to assist the police and in their communiqué, they said it would report to the police.

“The law says you can join together in association to assist the police. How can the police or any government by angry about this.

“In my opinion, the act has been done, Amotekun had been launched, let them go on.

‘’What the state governors have done is legal, so why should they bother? Let them (FG) try to go to court.

‘’They will meet the governors there. All what they would have to do is to show them sections 24, 40, 45 of the 1999 constitution.

“It is a case that must fail if they go to court. They have not set up a parallel police outfit. No. the constitution says it is your duty to protect the interest of yourself and others and join together in doing so. So simple. The case will be so easy to win,” Babalola argued.

https://www.independent.ng/you-cannot-kill-amotekun-afe-babalola-tells-fg/

Yeah... Put it in their empty skulls

YOU CAN'T KILL AMOTEKUN

Amotekun de, if'okanbale wole

These people never see anything... Won ti to werey

On behalf of all fulanis living in the south west, we reject Amotekun aimed at persecuting our fellow Nigerians. Nigerian constitution guarantees freedom of movement to all Nigerians within the country. We arewas say No to Amotekun. enuff saidAmotekun is not only illegal but primarily set up to target the Fulanis in Nigeria.

The north think they own the country, they have been holding this country hostage since the creation of this country. They have boko haram, herdsmen, baddit and iswap, all the terror group that we have in this country started in the north.

They definitely have something cooking and they are jiltered because their genocide plan is being uncovered.

I have had a lot of people asking why this Amotekun has been giving the north sleepless nights. It shows how shallow many Nigerians understand Nigerian politics. In fact let me try to explain something to them. May be they will start understanding Nnamdi Kanu better.

The north contribute very little to Nigerian economic development and would wait for proceeds from Niger Delta oil in order to carry out developmental projects. This is the core cause of Nigerian civil war. Abuja, Kano and other major cities in the north was built solely from oil proceeds.

Suffice is to say that everywhere in the world, oil is not found in every nook and crannies of a country. So Nigeria is not an exception to that simple logic.

But the issue with Nigeria is that the north refuses justice to other parts of Nigeria. Years of military rule refuses tangible project in other parts of the country. And a military channel was put in place to make sure no resistance exists anywhere from Nigeria. This is why you see them colonizing every military and para military organizations. Same reason Obasanjo retired many top military officers of northern origin to wither their influence.

The north fears any resistance that can cause break up and deny them the free flow of Niger Delta oil. The issue is that their mentality of subjugation has caused them big problem managing Nigerian unity. Their notorious nature have even caused a big split within the north itself as many minority northerners have become wiser now. Look at statement from TY Danjuma.

The coming to power by Buhari has escalated this mentality. Fact is that the fear of such subjugations which was evident in Buharis pre election statements caused Igbos to be on the alert resulting to what seemed like a hatred from the Igbos. People like Nnamdi Kanu cashed on this animosity and gained a lot of followership.

The north is always afraid of Nigerian break up but has failed to make Nigeria a country for all.
Im sure America has this intelligence and with the growing hatred they have in the north, we may expect break up earlier than expected.

I would advice Igbos investing so much outside Igboland to think twice before such investments. The future of this country is gloomy and you cannot afford to lose most of your belongings yet again to other Nigerians.

Except divine intervention, the country may have serious issues sooner than expected.

They fear amotekun.They stop the killing spree.
Peace reigns in Nigeria.Agriculture grows.Economy grows.Development is rapid in all regions.Amotekun stays.

Astalavi give them

Too late

Since the first day CJN spoke out against amotekun it died a much deserved natural death

This one wey yoruba dem dey drag na just ordinary wake keep