As the Southwest governors on Thursday launched its security outfit, codenamed Operation Amotekun, an Afenifere chieftain, Senator Femi Okurounmu has berated the governors saying that it is a ploy by the government to silent the agitation for the establishment of State Police.
Okurounmu who was speaking to Journalists in Abeokuta on the legality of the outfit said the setting up of Amotekun by Governors of the South West in his opinion is simply an attempt to silent the agitation for State Police without providing an effective substitute.
His words, "One has to ask himself; what is Amotekun? It ought to be a security outfit. What are its functions because the Nigerian Police is still there. The Amotekun cannot arrest. They don’t have power to arrest criminals and they cannot prosecute criminals. All these powers still lie with the Police".
"So, how is Amotekun a security outfit? It is not a security outfit. It is just a camouflage to make people believe that they have something which they do not have".
"Even, the Nigerian Police itself, if they arrest, they cannot prosecute if the people (higher authority) in Abuja says they should not prosecute".
'The people that killed Fasoranti’s daughter have not been prosecuted. It is because Abuja people would not allow them to be prosecuted'.
'So, all the powers still reside with the Police and Amotekunis not Police. It cannot arrest.'.
Speaking on whether the outfit can perform the role of State Police, Senator Okurounmu opined, " the Amotekun cannot perform the duty of Community Police. When we speak about Community Policing, the officers are from the locality, they know the community very well and Amotekun is not Police, therefore, it cannot perform the duties of Police. They don’t have the power of policemen".
He said "If we want to have Community Police, it is a beautiful idea. There are two ways to go about it. Under this present system, government will make sure that all officers that will work in Ogun State for instance are from the State; who know the area , who know the locality and who know the people very well".
"We can have State Police that would be under the control of the state governors. They would be proper police who can arrest and prosecute".
On whether the outfit can work in tandem with police rules, he ruled out the possibilities, saying, "When we have Amotekun working side-by-side with Nigerian Police, there is bound to be conflict because the real authority still lies with the Police and not Amotekun".
He recommended for the formation of State Police instead of Amotekun. "State Police is dissolution. In any federation, it is anomaly for the federal government to control Police'.
"In America for example, every small County has its own Police. Every State has Police. The federal police is FBI and FBI only goes out when its assistance is needed by the state Police and when it goes in, it works in conjunction with the State Police'.
He allayed fear in some quarters that the State Police would be manipulated by State governors for personal and political gains.
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