NIGERIA’S information minister Alhaji Lai Mohammed has added his voice to the growing debate about the southwestern security operation Amotekun saying his native Kwara State should be part of the project.
Created in 1967 Kwara State is populated by Yorubas but having being carved out of the old Northern Region, is currently part of the North Central geo-political zone. Over recent years, heavily-armed herdsmen have been running riot across Nigeria, engaging in kidnapping, armed robbery and banditry, so to address the problem, the governors from the southwest stakes launched a regional security outfit called Amotekun.
Backing up their plans with an official launch in Ibadan, the six governors have supplied Operation Amotekun with vehicles and equipment. Kwara State, despite being populated by Yorubas, will not be protected by Amotekun operatives and Alhaji Mohammed has asked that this be looked at.
Speaking in an interview with DW’s Tim Sebastian, Alhaji Mohammed said that Kwara, being a close friend of the southwest states must key into the Amotekun initiative to secure lives and properties. He added that Kwara State is more of a southwest state than a northern one due to its culture and tradition.
Alhaji Mohammed suggested that Kwara State should work out modalities to adopt the security initiative in order to end insecurity challenges. So far, the Kwara State governor has not indicated that he intends to join the initiative and there have been no plans to get the Kwara State House of Assembly to consider passing a bill establishing the outfit.
