As expected, one of the narratives that will define the year 2020 is security. This is being witnessed already on the international scene and in our immediate local landscape in the Northern part of the country. At the close of the year 2019, 11 hostages were reportedly beheaded by Islamic State West Africa Province and recently too in the new year, there were reported cases of herdsmen rampage in Kogi State. These early insecurity indices would redefine the year 2020, given some unresolved security architecture and operational policy narratives in the past. While the Centre holds the ace in the determination of security architecture especially in internal security using the Nigeria Police, some state governments and other stakeholders have always contested this as an anomaly that has not done any good to the security architecture of the country. In effect, this has led to the clamour for deregulation of the Nigeria Police Force. For emphasis, Nigeria is the only country practising federal republicanism with a unitary police. What a contradiction!
Given our peculiar security situation which is not a recent happening and given too much of a neglect of not articulating internal security architecture as it ought to have been, Nigerians have not only suffered from the long security neglect, but also the loss in human lives and property is too colossal to weigh statistically. In spite of this long neglect, there is a dire need to rethink internal security architecture and make same to reflect peculiarities of each region, given cultural differences and insecurity profiling. In effect, the all-time call for state police should be revisited. It remains a misnomer of great magnitude and primary security compromise for the country to have jettisoned territorial or subnational policing from independence till date. The major consequence of this dastardly act is, among other things, undermining the quality of living, due to lack of security coordination which the practice of state policing would have brought about.It is in response to these challenges that inform the need to have a birth of a regional security outfit codenamed Operation Amotekun as championed by the governors in the six Western Region of the country. Amotekun in English language refers to an an animal, leopard. Leopard is a strong carnivorous animal which is very strong, deft, confident, and intelligent.
As an espionage and deft move which was motivated by series of insecurity concerns like kidnapping, assassination, raping, arson, banditry, and other life-threatening events in the Southwest, the six Governors with other opinion leaders at a Security Meeting organised by the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission held at the University of Ibadan Conference Centre on September 22, 2019 developed the initiative. The strategic meeting in Ibadan was not only a very scientific move by the DAWN Commission, but it was also a practical rapid security response which remains commendable. It was at the meeting that some far-reaching decisions were taking on how the region could be more proactive on security measures.
Operation Amotekun is the Southwest’s Regional and an all-encompassing Security Outfit motivated mainly to stem the region of all forms of insecurity threatening its corporate existence. Operationally, the Security initiative which is expected to be both proactive and counter-reactive will be at two levels: central and local. While the security outfit’s initiative is applauded, there is a need to make some projections with a view to setting some agenda. This should, however, be preceded by some observed and informed landmines; the first being the federal government’s silence.
Till now, there has not been a word whatsoever on the outfit. This seeming silence is too cold for the operation comfort of Operation Amotekun. Why? In the course of field operations of the outfit, there would be serious security contentions that may tilt the outfit with the constitutionally-empowered internal security agency, the Police. Although Operation Amotekun is not an alternate police given the fact that the power of arrest and prosecution is still vested in the police, nevertheless, some human excessivity may play out and may bring conflicts. This has to be frontally addressed. Another seeming landmine will be bored from the conglomerates that will form Operation Amotekun, the Agbekoyas, the Oodua People’s Congress, local vigilance groups, hunters and perhaps political interests.Traditionally, security agencies do go through inter-agency rivalry on some operational issues. This is also expected to happen when Operation Amotekun takes off. This rivalry will be mulitiple given different socio-psychological profiles of each group from which personnel of Operation Amotekun will be drawn. The issue of sucsipicion and complex could also undermine the expected synergy between Operation Amotekun and other security agencies (the army, the police and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps). It would be recalled that it took years before other security agencies accepted personnel of NSCDC. This is expected to surface given some other fundamental strategic issues bothering on training and esprit de corps. Other landmines like continual funding, political sustainability, and inter-regional rivalry may play out as the security outfit takeoff.
The above landmines notwithstanding, Operation Amotekun is a welcome security outfit which will provide psychological comfort in the Southwest, Nigeria. One obvious security check globally is the presence of security personnel which the oufit should be able to do seamlessly. Provisions of automobiles (which should include powerbikes and bicycles) and communication gadgets would not only enhances surveilance but would also make security much more seamless and proactive. The agenda setting should also focus on tradional rulers and opinion leaders; including religious leaders. This is to promote intelligence (sourcing and sharing). In effect, emphases of Operation Amotekun Outfit should be neighbourhood-driven. In contemporary period, neighbourhood (community) security is more effective and this is where OperationAmotekun Outfit should make a difference. Our security ecosystem calls for this.
The truth here is that, community/neighbourhood policing is seamless with state policing and not with unitary policing as practiced in Nigeria. Whatever is said to be community policing in Nigeria is merely theoretical and another way of foisting policing philosophy on the nation when the police architecture and philosophy do not support it. Police personnel, where the philosophy of state policing is entrenched, are not the sole guardians of laws and orders. Members of the public naturally and freely support policing work and make same easy for the police personnel. It is instructive, setting agenda for Operation Amotekun, that the philosophy of neighbourhood security should be well entrenched.
Operation Amotekun should also be driven by probity and integrity in its structure if the outfit does not want to receive public opprobrium. This would require effective coordination of its activities, using bottom-up approach. The bottom-up approach rooted in integrity of personnel would ehance efficiency and public acceptance. Security is everybody’s business. All hands should, therefore, be on deck to support this initiative that birth Operation Amotekun in the Southwest, Nigeria. The Southwest has always been in the vanguard for progressive ideals. This is another opportunity to prove this dignity.
In conclusion, OpertaionAmotekun Outfit should not be a New Wine in an Old Skin; rather, the expectations are for it to be a bew wine in a new skin as it proactively wrestles criminals and bandits in the Southwest, Nigeria. While doing this, Operation Amotekunshoul not take the shine out of the Nigeria Police which is the agency primarily responsible for internal security. God bless the initiative!
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Aremu is a counselling psychologist and security expert from the University of Ibadan
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