A cleric and key member of hunters as well as members of the Oodua People’s Congress, on Tuesday led the solidarity rally in support of the security outfit code named Amotekun.
Also in the rally were members of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Vigilance Group of Nigeria, Yoruba Koya, Man ‘O War, Oodua Union, Ekiti Council of Elders and Agbekoya .
The police and operatives of the Department of State Services provided heavy cover for the participants, who trekked from the popular Fajuyi park through Okesa junction, Ojumose to the popular Erekesan market and Ijigbo area of Ado Ekiti capital city.
It was a general consensus among the stakeholders that the Amotekun initiative has berthed permanently in the southwest region and that it was not formed to fight Fulani herdsmen, except the unruly and destructive ones.
Speaking at the rally, a man of God and Students’ leader as well as coordinator of the peace protest, Pastor Praise Ayodele, said : “Amotekun has come to stay in southwest Nigeria. We are not fighting anybody. The security of our people is very important. We are to do this to support our governors that we are happy with Amotekun.
“It is sad that our people were being killed and kidnapped and many of these carnages were without arrests. We are daily in fear of being killed and these and many more are the reasons for the formation of Amotekun.
“On the proscription of Amotekun by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, we are of the opinion that the Minister only expressed himself as a private citizen who is entitled to his own opinion.
“We charged our governors to remain focused, we advise our leaders to desist from politicising Amotekun and that our security should be of priority “.
Also, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Kayode Fayemi on Internal Security and former Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon. Dele Olugbemi, said : “the Amotekun is for easy identification of all visitors to Ekiti and southwest . It is sad that Malami made pronouncement over issue he knew nothing about. He spoke as if he didn’t know the level of insecurity in this zone.
“Some of these evil doers besieged even our towns , killed people and destroyed everything in the farm. Amotekun will work in their localities and it is not about fighting anybody.
Making his contributions, the Coordinator of Oodua Union, Hon Femi Robinson, said the security architecture in the country has collapsed and that local security becomes imperative, saying ” If Amotekun disarm armed robbers, are they not helping the police?”, He asked.
The leaders of Agbekoya and Vigilance Group of Nigeria, Chief Sunday Omoyajowo and Mrs Suwebat Aliu respectively , said Yoruba maintained a united front about Amotekun and that nothing will change this stand, adding that “Amotekun won’t render the police useless, because security is a function of everybody, so we appreciate our governors for this initiative”.
The leader of the delegation of Ekiti Council of Elders , Chief Niyi Ajubulu, regretted that people can no longer move around as a result of increased insecurity .
” We have to be vigilant in this zone. Amotekun has landed and we must cooperate with them. Whoever that is averse to the formation of this outfit is satanic”.
