Operation Amotekun: Osun Residents Throng Major Streets To Solidarise With Southwest Governors

By Olanrewaju Lawal, Osogbo

Residents and citizens of Osun State on Tuesday thronged the major streets of Osogbo, the state capital in their large numbers to fraternize with Southwest governors on the recently established Southwest Security outfit popularly called Operation Amotekun.

The residents who were chanting solidarity songs marched from Nelson Mandela Freedom Park through Oke-fia down to Oja Oba all in Osogbo metropolis.

It will be recalled that Southwest Governors on January 9, 2020 commissioned the Operation Amotekun in Ibadan.

The Federal Government through the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami declared the security outfit illegal as issues of defense and security are under the exclusive list and not with the states.

The Chairman, Yoruba World Congress Osun State Chapter, and convener of the peaceful rally, Dr Akin Adejuwon said the rally is aimed at creating awareness, mobilizing people and to informing them that Amotekun has come to stay on their behalf.

“It is not a protest but a walk of mobilization and awareness and sensitization of people to the fact that Amotekun is being deployed on their behalf.”

While explaining the need for Amotekun in the Southwest, he said Amotekun is the instantaneous response to a very serious problem that is very typical in the Southwestern part of Nigeria.

“The Southwestern part has been known to be the most peaceful part of Nigeria for generations and we have discovered that that peace is being cut short by some calculated efforts by brigands and all sort of negative powers. So that’s why we have to bring all that to a stop.”

Adejuwon said the awareness is for governors to know that for another time, they have proved to be real omoluabis.

“The essence of Omoluabi is to respond to the need of your people and that is what they have just done.

“They know that we are with them and we are coming here today (Tuesday) to tell them that anybody that is not with them are on their own.

Also speaking, a stakeholder in the movement, Engr Sola Fatokun
stressed that the long and the protracted agitation for state police is now inevitable.

“Someone cannot sit down in Abuja and be monitoring and supervising what is happening in Osogbo.

“If government can issue firearms to individuals, what prevents Southwest governors from having their own security outfit.

He advised the Federal government to consult Southwest governors so that things will go the way it supposed to be.