More reasons for the declaration of the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Operation Amotekun, by the Presidency have been revealed.
The kitchen cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari and security chiefs were said to be principally afraid of separatist and ethnic groups who might take advantage of the security network to undermine national security.
Some members of President Buhari’s kitchen cabinet and security chiefs also opposed the regional tone given to it by the SouthWest governors, which according to them may force other regions to follow suit, especially the supporters of IPOB and MASSOB.
Some key players in the presidency saw the emergence of Operation Amotekun as a subtle way to introduce regional politics.
Recall that the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), claiming that the security network runs against the provisions of the Nigerian law, declared the initiative illegal last week, a few days after it was launched in Ibadan.
President Buhari’s strategists rate the operation as a violation of Sections 2, 17 and 45 of the Second Schedule to the 1999 Constitution.
It was learnt that some security chiefs feared that some ethnic and separatist organizations like the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) might take advantage of Operation Amotekun to threaten national security.
Besides, the assumption that Amotekun Militia might bear arms did not sit well with some forces in the presidency prompting Malami to issue the statement on the ‘illegality’ of the initiative.
Malami was said to have got clearance from the presidency before issuing the statement
On their part, the South-West governors have reached out to Police Inspector-General Adamu Mohammed and the Director-General of the Department of State Security Services (DSS), Mallam Yusuf Magaji Bichi to clarify a few misgivings.
They told the IGP and the DSS DG that Operation Amotekun is not different from a neighbourhood watch security organization.
Investigation showed that the governors notified the President about the launch of Operation Amotekun through the “appropriate quarters.”
They went ahead with the launch when there were no words from the President against it or raising security issues.
Despite the misgivings on Operation Amotekun, the governors are awaiting Buhari’s invitation to present the true picture of the situation to him instead of relying on some false reports.
A reliable source, who spoke in confidence with our correspondent, said: “The launch of Operation Amotekun caught the President and his strategists unawares because the President was not personally briefed by the South-West governors.
“The governors actually routed their plans to the President through the appropriate quarters of communication but there was a gap somewhere. The President’s men are angry because the whole process was untidy.
“And those who had preliminary talks with the governors on the launch did not brief the President properly.
“The governors are awaiting an invitation from the President to present the concept of Operation Amotekun, the scope and modalities to him.”
The Nation Newspaper reports five grouses of the President’s men and security chiefs namely:
- No provision for a regional security arrangement in the 1999 Constitution or any law
- Alleged backdoor approach to reintroducing regional autonomy/ government structure
- Defence, Police and Security architecture on the Exclusive List in sections 2, 17 and 45 of the Second Schedule to the 1999 Constitution
- Amotekun Militia may bear arms and become parallel security organizations
- Operational procedures yet to be defined and harmonized with the Police and other security agencies before the launch of Operation Amotekun
