Historically, at common law, the Posse Comitatus was a group of men sourced from the county or community, assembled and commissioned by the Sheriff to assist in the execution of a warrant or deal with an emergency. The term derives from Latin words “posse comitatus” meaning (force of the county). The concept achieved popularity through the Hollywood Western Movies, wherein posses were recruited to apprehend bandits or outlaws and bring them to justice. It usually began with citizens being deputized (made deputies) by the Sheriff or a Federal Marshal. After that they rode off in hot pursuit of the movie’s designated outlaw or anti-hero.
In the case of Operation Amotekun the pervading, current and imminent threat is comprised of terrorists, arm robbers kidnappers, cultist/Ritualists, Cattle Rustlers and bandits in the Western Region of Nigeria. This perennial insecurity spurred the Governors in the region to act. Thus –
On Thursday, January 9, 2020, Governors of Nigeria’s six southwest states of Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Ekiti, Ondo and Lagos, launched the western Nigeria security network called ‘Operation Amotekun’ in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti and Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo were present at the flag-off.
Governors Gboyega Oyetola of Osun, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos and Dapo Abiodun of Ogun cited poor weather conditions as reason for their absence.
“Even though they are not physically here, I’m sure their spirits are here with us,” Makinde said of the absentee governors.
The article below presents the facts and makes the case for same in journalistic form.
Here are 7 key things you really need to know about the sub-regional Operation Amotekun:
- Amotekun is the Yoruba word for Leopard.
The logo of this operation features the image of a prancing, angry leopard in full flight; with ‘Zero tolerance to crime’ as the pay-off line.
2. Amotekun seeks to complement the police and other state security outfits in the southwest and not replace them.
According to Ekiti Governor Fayemi,“Amotekun is a complement that will give our people confidence that they are being looked after by those they elected into office.
“So, we do not want this to create fear in the mind of anybody as we are not creating a regional police force and are fully aware of the steps we must take to have state police .
“We do not want anybody to misconstrue the concept of Amotekun.”
3.The southwest governors cite rising insecurity in the region, kidnappings and robbery as major reasons for the birth of Amotekun.
As Fayemi puts it, “It was in the context of the unfortunate development that we lost the daughter of Pa Reuben Fasanranti, the leader of Afenifere.
”And that further put pressure on us, as leaders in the southwest, to do something about insecurity.
“As elected leaders, our primary responsibility, according to Section 14 (2) of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 as amended, is the security and welfare of citizens.
“That was what informed the governors coming together to fashion out a way to complement the work of the mainstream security agencies overstretched in their efforts to arrest the menace that have afflicted the entire country.”
4…Amotekun has received the blessings of the federal government and the Inspector General of Police Mohammed Adamu, the governors say.
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, says “all the traditional rulers are in support, the federal government is not opposed to it. Let all and sundry support it for peace to reign in the region.”
The governors also say this is not an attempt to achieve ‘state police’ through the backdoor.
“We are not creating a regional police force and are fully aware of the steps we must take to have state police,” Fayemi says.
5..Amotekun personnel will be locally sourced–more like your neighborhood police.
The leader of the Yoruba World Congress, Prof. Banji Akintoye, adds that Amotekun operatives are going to be well trained by professionals and security experts.
“The people that will work in Amotekun are going to be trained properly by highly educated people for them to relate properly with the police and the army,” Akintoye says.
6..Each of the the six southwest states has procured 20 trucks and 100 units of motorcycles for operation Amotekun.Amotekun vehicles were all reportedly procured from local car maker Innoson (Oyo state govt)
7..Amotekun won’t be modelled after the Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) security outfit.
Amotekun personnel will sport uniforms and won’t rely heavily on charms and machetes on the job.
“They will be professional and courteous on the job and penetrate areas your regular police officers can’t penetrate because we trust that they know the terrain better,” one aide of a southwest governor tells Pulse.
Okay that said. Fast forward to 2021 the situation doesn’t seem to be changing. Community policing, neighborhood watch and community organized vigilantes seems more like an imperative in the wake of One Million boys in Ikorodu, Lagos. Bandits and Kidnappers on Kaduna-Abuja Road, Farmers and Herdsmen clashes in North Central Nigeria (Benue, Kaduna et al), The Kankara boys affair (an antithetical gender and political twist to the Chibok Girls Fiasco), Marauding bandits in Zamfara; Farmers massacre in Borno and scores of Nigerian soldiers killed in attacks by Boko Haram.
Insecurity has become the biggest Elephant in the Room.
11 years and counting. We are battle wary and tired of waiting for a messiah. It’s about time we began to take things seriously and start seeking and implementing tested and effective solutions.
1. Intelligence gathering and application is critical.
2. Sustainable economic development and growth.
3. Education and re-orientation.
4. Re-evaluation of Military strategy.
5. Restoration of public confidence and cooperation in affected area.
6. Community policing and collaboration between local/Federal forces, military/paramilitary forces.
7. Engagement of and collaboration with local leaderships and society groups.
I am certain these suggestions are not new to the experts. And they very well may have been implementing some or all of them. Including more not on the list.
However, this article is just a gentle reminder of the pains of the many victims (all Nigerian Citizens and a few foreign nationals) and how long this problem has lingered.
Enough is enough. #SoroSoke.
DrAlexanderGrey 
Scientia potentia est – knowledge is power.
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