News
IGP, Southwest Governors Agree On Amotekun Operations
The Southwest Regional Security Operation code-named Operation Amotekun has finally been adopted by Governors of all states in the Southwest and the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
The Southwest Governors’ Forum told the IGP Muhammed Adamu in Lagos on Thursday that, the development would spring up fresh efforts to secure local communities.
The Forum spoke through its chairman and Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, at the Southwest Security Meeting on Community Policing convened at the instance of the IGP.
The meeting was held on Thursday at the Banquet Hall of the Lagos State Government in Alausa.
At the end of the meeting, which held for about two hours behind closed doors, the IGP and representatives of each State okayed the framework of Southwest Regional Security Network (otherwise known as Operation Amotekun), but initiative will not be run as a regional security operations, as initially suggested. It will be state-led effort, the IGP said.
Also, the meeting ratified community policing model proposed by the IGP and the initiative would be complementing Operation Amotekun and conventional police operations in all local communities.
The host and Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said the security gathering was part of extensive meetings with the police leadership on adopting new strategies and initiatives towards securing lives and property of people in the Southwest.
Lagos Government, Sanwo-Olu said, will continue to champion initiatives and frameworks that continue to provide support and logistics required for effective policing in the region.
Akeredolu said the meeting was of “great importance” to the people of Southwest, confirming that the Forum had a fruitful discussion with the IGP.
Speaking on the outcome, Akeredolu said: “The Governors of Southwest and the IGP have held a very fruitful discussion and it is clear now to all of us that, community policing, which the Nigeria Police is anchoring is one that will benefit all of us. We have chosen that we will embrace community in its entirety.
“In addition, we have spoken and we want everyone to know that, Amotekun was not conceived as a regional police, but a state-based security outfit. We have come out of this meeting happy and we have agreed on the resolution. We have shed lights on dark areas and we are on the same page with the police with respect to these issues.”
IGP Adamu substantiated Akeredolu’s claim, saying the participants at the meeting had fine-tuned Operation Amotekun and adopted it to be state-led initiative and not regional.
He said: “This is the second meeting we have held with the Governors of Southwest region concerning the creation of Operation Amotekun. The just concluded meeting was to discuss and fine-tune Amotekun. Out conclusion is what the chairman of Southwest Governors’ Forum has explained.
“Amotekun is not a regional security outfit. Every state has one form of security arrangement, whether it is vigilante or neighbourhood watch that are working security agencies in the states to fight crime. Amotekun is not different from these initiatives. We have agreed that community policing strategy be infused into the Amotekun structure, so that policing will be initiative of the community members.”
Adamu said the police would be part of the recruitment, training and deployment of personnel to be assigned for Amotekun operations, adding that the initiative would work in complementary with community policing model.
The IGP said policing must start with the public, urging members of the public to unite and form an alliance against criminals in their communities.
He said the police would support the residents’ effort to keep their communities safe, but added any decision to be taken must come from the public.
The IGP praised Lagos Government for adopting a community-led policing arrangement, saying Lagos remained an example where “a good structure” of community policing had been effective.
The daughter of former Delta State governor, James Ibori, and representative of Ethiope Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, has described her defection from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC, as the best decision of her political career.
This is as Ibori-Suenu accused the PDP of attempting to stifle her political aspirations.
She also expressed gratitude to her supporters and APC leaders for their encouragement.
“We will bury PDP in Ologbo River, the bridge between Delta and Edo states. I am already at home – APC is supreme.
“The people in PDP wanted to kill my political aspirations, but thank God, I have finally left,” she said.
Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Ikeja Special Offences Court has January 7, 2025, to rule on an application filed by Godwin Emefiele, former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), challenging the court’s jurisdiction over his case.
Emefiele, facing a 26-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), is accused of misusing his office, resulting in a loss of $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion.
His co-defendant, Henry Omoile, is also on trial for related charges, including the unlawful acceptance of gifts.
During yesterday’s proceedings, Emefiele’s counsel, Olalekan Ojo SAN, argued that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case in Lagos.
He contended that the alleged offences, including abuse of office, fell outside the territorial reach of the Ikeja Special Offences Court.
Ojo further argued that the charges violated Section 36(12) of the Constitution, asserting that the actions Emefiele is accused of were not legally recognized offences.
Ojo emphasized that since the Lagos State House of Assembly does not have legislative authority over matters on the Exclusive Legislative List, Section 73 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011 under which Counts 1 to 4 were filed, cannot apply extraterritorially to any alleged abuse of office by Emefiele.
He argued that a court’s territorial jurisdiction refers to the geographical area within which its authority can be exercised, and outside of this area, the court cannot act.
Ojo also urged the court to strike out Counts 1 to 4 of the 18 amended information filed on April 4, 2024, on the grounds that the offences occurred outside the court’s jurisdiction.
In response, EFCC counsel Rotimi Oyedepo SAN maintained that the court had the authority to hear the case.
He argued that the alleged crimes were economic and financial in nature, within the EFCC’s jurisdiction, and that evidence supported Lagos as the appropriate venue for the trial.
Oyedepo further asserted that the subject matter of the charges fell squarely within the court’s jurisdiction, as the offences were committed within the court’s territorial reach.
He argued that the evidence and witness testimonies pointed to Lagos as the proper location for the trial and that the objections raised by Emefiele’s legal team were not substantiated by the facts or evidence.
After hearing arguments from both parties, Justice Oshodi adjourned the matter and fixed January 7, 2025, for ruling.
Daily Sun
At the 146th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, the last for 2024, 36 states with exception of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), submitted their reports on state police, with majority supporting its establishment to address Nigeria’s escalating security challenges, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani on Thursday disclosed.
Speaking after the meeting presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Sani revealed that 36 states have submitted proposals supporting the establishment of state police, reflecting a strong consensus among governors.
“Today, one of the discussions we had at the NEC meeting was the update on the creation of state police. As you are aware, there was a submission by States toward the establishment of state police.
”Today, about 36 states have already made their submission for establishing state police in Nigeria. And I can say here that from what is available, virtually most of the states are in agreement with the establishment of state police in Nigeria,” Sani stated.
Despite the overwhelming support, discussions on the initiative were postponed until the next NEC meeting scheduled for January.
Sani explained, “The council decided to step down the discussion until we receive a report from the secretariat. After that, there will be deliberation at the next NEC meeting.”
He also highlighted a resolution from the previous NEC meeting calling for further stakeholder engagement to refine the proposal.
“And not only that, there’s also a resolution in the last NEC meeting, which is today the Secretariate have also agreed on that, there will be further stakeholder engagement after the panel and deliberation by the members of the NEC.”
The governor acknowledged the unique security challenges faced by different regions, noting, “Considering the fact that virtually every state has their peculiarity in terms of the problem we are having of insecurity in our own states. Knowing fully well that we have a lot of ungoverned space in Nigeria, and also that we have a lot of deficit in terms of number of boots on ground, looking at the fact that a lot of security agencies, the police, the army and other relevant security agencies have no personnel to cover all the ungoverned spaces, that is the reason why most of us agreed that establishment of state police in Nigeria is the way forward toward addressing the problem insecurity in our own country.”
At the last NEC meeting, the governments of Kwara, Kebbi, and Adamawa and FCT were given one week to submit their reports on the proposed creation of state police.
Governor Sani said while others have complied, FCT failed to do so with explanations which were accepted by the council.
The council had in September, threatened to impose decisions on any state that had not complied with the request for reports.
The push for state police comes as Nigeria grapples with severe insecurity issues, including banditry and terrorism.
The NEC’s discussions follow a broader national dialogue on policing reform initiated by President Bola Tinubu earlier this year. The President has long advocated for state police as part of efforts to decentralize Nigeria’s heavily centralized security apparatus.
Daily Sun
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