The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Abiodun Ige
Adams,on Wednesday condemned the declaration by President Muhammadu Buhari’s
government that Amotekun, the new Southwest security outfit is illegal.
The Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami,
made the announcement on Tuesday.
A statement signed by Malami’s spokesman, Umar Gwandu, said,
“The setting up of the paramilitary organisation called Amotekun is illegal and
runs contrary to the provisions of the Nigerian law.
In his reaction, Adams said stated that the right to life
cannot be in the exclusive list of any serious government.
Adams, in a letter to Malami, added that he has advised
Southwest governors to shun government’s position on Amotekun.
See full text of letter below:
Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN)
Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Justice
Minister,
Abuja.
Dear Sir
PROTEST OVER YOUR ILLEGAL ORDER TO SOUTH-WEST GOVERNORS
I find it disturbing your statement of Tuesday January14,
2020 declaring the security initiative of South-West governors ‘Amotekun’ as
illegal. You also threatened that the full course of the law will be applied to
anybody promoting the Amotekun security initiative.
May be you have forgotten. I need to remind you that you are
the Attorney-General of the country, not a section of the country. So, your
outburst against the governors who were elected, not selected or appointed, is
against the spirit of the 1999 Constituted (as amended).
The right to life is universal and no government can
legislate against that. I don’t need to bother you about killings, kidnappings,
banditry and other criminal vices in the South-West recently.
Even Mrs. Funke Olakunrin, the daughter of Yoruba leader, Pa
Reuben Fasoranti, was killed and nobody has been arrested in respect of all
these killings.
One thing is clear: Nigerians have the right to protect
themselves. Not only that: South-West people have a right to protect and defend
themselves against attacks. Amotekun is an initiative by the South-West governors
to defend our people.
Where you are getting it wrong is this: The Amotekun
initiative has nothing to do with the territorial integrity of Nigeria. If
there is a breach of the territorial integrity of the country, the military
will come in immediately.
So, nobody is rising against Nigeria, as your letter to the
governors, directly or indirectly, implied. What is happening is that our
people no longer feel safe because the land has been invaded by some elements
from within and outside the country.
It is unfortunate that rather than praise the governors, you
are condemning their action, thereby strengthening the hands of those who
believe the Federal Government is against some sections of the country.
As a lawyer and a Senior Advocate, you should know that you
are not the law. You are only the Attorney-General, not a court. It is only a
court of competent jurisdiction that will decide if what an individual, group
of individuals, an entity or a state does is legal or otherwise.
So, it is only a court that can invalidate the South-West
joint security initiative, not you. I want to establish this fact that the
Yoruba have a right to protect themselves from attack or violence of any sort.”
Issues of security is highly sensitive, and we can now
understand where the threat is coming from. It is unfortunate that the FG is
doing everything to frustrate the southwest governors’ efforts.
For instance, last Wednesday, that was less than 24-hours
before the launching of Amotekun in Ibadan, the Presidency summoned the
southwest governors to Aso rock.
We knew about the intrigues that played out at the meeting.
We knew about the frustrations at Aso rock, but the governors, having realised
the implications of playing politics with the lives of their people, stood their
ground and went ahead to launch the security outfit as planned”
So, it is your position on this volatile situation that is
illegal, unlawful, immoral and of no effect because your declaration has proved
some critics right that some states in the country are deliberately left
vulnerable to attacks by criminals.
I have called on Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Dapo
Abiodun (Ogun), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Gboyega Oyetola (Osun), Rotimi Akeredolu
(Ondo) and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) to ignore your position on this matter.
Why do people employ guards in their houses? For security.
Why do Community Development Associations (CDAs) employ guards to secure
streets and areas? To ensure protection of lives and property.
Is that initiative in the exclusive list of the
constitution? No. I repeat that the right to preserve and protect your life can
never be in the exclusive list of any government.
I am aware of similar security outfits in other sections of
the country. Why you are against the protection of the lives and properties of
Yoruba people defies logic.
This week is the 50th anniversary of the end of the civil
war. We should do everything to avoid plunging the country into another war.
Mr. Malami, please don’t set a bad precedence.
Iba Gani Abiodun Ige Adams
15th Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland
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