South West AGs ratify legal framework for Amotekun

The Attorneys-Generals of the six South West states have put finishing touches to the required legal framework for the operation of Operation Amotekun, the security outfit for combating crimes in the region.
The AGs concluded work on the legal framework on Friday night.
According to the available details, each of the states will have its legislation and security network operatives, which will be known as Amotekun Corps.
Those who attended the meeting, which started at about 7pm in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, were: Prof. Oyewole Oyewo (Oyo), Oluwafemi Akande (Osun), Olawale Fapohunda (Ekiti), Adekola Olawole (Ondo), Akingbolahan Adeniran (Ogun) and Moyosore Onigbanjo (Lagos), who was represented by the Director of Civil Litigation, S.A. Quadri.
The meeting, which lasted for about three hours behind closed doors at Davies Hotel, Bodija, Ibadan, was also attended by officials of the South West regional think tank Development Agenda for Western Nigeria Commission, led by the Director General, Seye Oyeleye.
Speaking with newsmen after the meeting in the presence of others, Oyewo said the bill will be sent to the various states Houses of Assemblies after it has been seen by the separate State Executive Councils.
He said the operational details and structural procedures will be common across the six states to allow for avenues for operational collaborations.
He reiterated that the security network is to complement the existing apparatus but would be using local intelligence, expressing optimism that the bill will not take too long before being passed to laws by the individual states.
Oyewo said: “The meeting of the Attorneys-General of the six South West states just concluded and we deliberated on the plan to evolve a collaborative security network/agency in the South West.
“We have been able to come up with a legal framework to back up such establishment of security network in each of the states.
“So each of the state will have its own legislation and its own security network corp that will bear the name Amotekun Corps.
“There will be standard operational procedure that will also be in common and there will be an avenue for collaboration between the states to work together.
“It must be stated that the security network will be working in collaboration and as a complimentary network with the police and the security agencies and armed forces.
“We will be depending on our local people because of local intelligence.
“You can say it is community policing, vigilante, but this security system under the name of Amotekun Corps has come to stay.
“The draft bills will proceed to the state Houses of Assembly of each of the states and will be signed into law by the governors of each state.
“That is where we are now.
“Today is Friday (meeting day), by next week it will go to the state Houses of Assembly after it has passed through the Excos of each of the states.”
When asked if the new security outfit will be licenced to carry arms, ammunition and wear uniforms, Oyewo said: “Yes, of course, the carrying of arms is legislated by law and the Amotekun outfit will comply with all the laws of the land.
“We have an operational manual that will also be passed as part of the legal framework for each of the states.
“We just want to allay the fears of anybody that has fears that this is just part of the ways to impact the security architecture in Nigeria, to protect lives and properties.
“We have been emphasising Section 14 of the Constitution imposes a duty, a primary duty, on the federal, state and local governments to secure lives and properties and that is exactly what the states here present are doing.”
Asked if the AGs will write to officially inform the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, on the new development, Oyewole said: “We run a federal system.
“As long as laws are passed within the competence of our legislation, we don’t need the permission, authority or even the counsel of anybody other than the operators set under the constitution.
“As I have stated and I reiterate, the law is to establish a security network with Amotekun Corps and that is what will be presented to the state Houses of Assembly and that will probably be passed into law.”