AMOTEKUN IS NOT REGIONAL POLICE –Kayode Fayemi

The Western Nigeria Security Network operation Amotekun is a community policing response to a problem that our people would like to put an end to.  But pending the time that the community policing strategy being put together by the Nigeria Police comes to fruition, it is clearly important that we give our people a confidence boosting strategy.

Amotekun is a confidence building strategy for our people in the western zone. When those that are going to work in the joint task force with the mainstream security agencies undertake this assignment, they are going to do it with the knowledge of the terrain, language and culture of the community they are going to work.

Amotekun is not a duplication neither is it a replacement for the Nigeria Police Force. Amotekun is a complement that gives our people the confidence that they are being looked after by the people they elected into office.

We do not want this to create fear in the mind of anyone. We are not creating a regional police force. We are not oblivious of the steps we need to follow in forming a State police. We are law abiding citizens of Nigeria. We know that will require a constitutional amendment and we are not there yet.

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I commend the role played by mainstream security agencies in tackling kidnapping and banditry in the south western zone, however, Amotekun would reduce the burden on the agencies which is currently “overstretched”.