Again, operation Amotekun is illegal – Malami insists

Emmanuel AmudaJanuary 24, 2020

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Despite the Federal Government and South West Governors meeting led by the Vice- President, Yemi Osinbajo in Abuja on Thursday, January 23, Abubakar Malami insisted that the South-West security arrangement, Operation Amotekun, is illegal.

Abubakar Malami, SAN, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, insisted that any security arrangement not supported by extant laws remained illegal.

In a statement released by his Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, Dr Umar Gwandu, the minister made the statement during a Radio Nigeria programme “Nationwide Politics.”

Gwandu quoted Malami as insisting that regional security architectural arrangement by states is not tolerated by the Constitution.

The minister said, “The planning, execution, consummation of whatever security arrangement must be naturally grounded in law, rooted in the constitution and tolerated by the law.

“For any arrangement to stand within the law, the bottom line is that constitutionality and legality must be factored.

“Provided that there is an aberration relating to constitutional compliance, I think the right thing to do is to ensure constitutionality and legality both in spirit, planning, concept, and consummation.”

He added, “If you are talking of regional arrangement, for example, at what point

did the state assemblies come together as a region for the purpose of coming up with a statue or a law that can operate within the context of the Constitution taking into consideration the Federating arrangement that does not allow or tolerate a regional state House of Assembly arrangement.

Meanwhile, the President Muhammadu Buhari led federal government and the governors of the six South-west states on Thursday, January 23, have agreed on how Amotekun, the new security outfit set up in the region, should proceed

Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo led Federal government met in Abuja on Thursday with the six South-west governors, alongside Attorney-General Abubakar Malami and the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar.

In a statement released by the Vice President spokesperson, Laolu Akande said that the governors must ensure that necessary legal instruments were put in place by each of the states for the initiative.

The statement reads, “Vice President Osinbajo met today with South-West governors, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Inspector-General of Police.

“Having regard to the need for all hands to be on deck in addressing the security concerns across the country, it was agreed that the structure of Amotekun should also align with the community policing strategy of the Federal Government.

“It was also agreed that necessary legal instruments will be put in place by each of the states to give legal backing to the Amotekun initiative and address all issues concerning the regulation of the security structure,”

Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu who also spoke to journalists after the meeting, corroborated the vice president’s statement.

“What I believe is our resolution is that Amotekun is there, you know the federal government is starting community policing, in essence really is about community. So, we are going to work together to see the community policing and Amotekun work in a way,” he said.