The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba land and National Coordinator of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Iba Gani Adams, has declared that whoever is against the South-West security outfit codenamed Operation Amotekun (Leopard), which will be launched today, is enemy of the region.
He said that not everything people should be playing politics with. According to him, issue of security should be of concern to everybody no matter their differences, groups or political parties, as security of life and property ought to be their priority.
Adams stated this while speaking with journalists in his residence in Lagos.
Operation Amotekun is a joint taskforce involving OPC, hunters, other vigilante groups, the police, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and the army.
Adams described Operation Amotekun as a joint security force that would address the rising incidents of kidnapping, robbery and killings in the South West.
He said there was no better time to kick off the joint taskforce than now with South West residents having difficulties to access their farmlands or travel on highways due to kidnappings and other rising insecurity issues.
He said: “Operation Amotekun is a welcome development in our region and at the same time, it is an idea that is already belated because we have been expecting it longtime ago before it eventually came to reality. I was for one of the people who agitated for it. Without telling you the whole story, I can tell you authoritatively that Yoruba people are very happy with the operation. Anybody you see or hear criticizing this operation, it is either that person is a sadist or that person did not value life or even property.
“Amotekun is not the real state police we agitating for but it is temporary solution to some of the challenges facing our region.
“We are due for state police; we don’t need any security report to tell us that our region has been infiltrated by external criminals from the neighboring countries around us. Some external criminals have collaborators within. The president even made matter worse by giving foreigners free entry to our country. Operation Amotekun will address many issues beyond issue of Fulani herdsmen.
“There are many spots across the region that were den of ritualists; the issue of security challenges in South – West goes beyond issue of Fulani Herdmen but I believe the current move will address it.”
