DEBO ADEOYE, SOUTHWEST
The Ondo State Governor, MR. ROTIMI AKEREDOLU has declared that the launching of Operation Amotekun did not violate any law, noting that the outfit is not a paramilitary as it was being insinuated in some quarters.
The Attorney General of the federation, ABUBAKAR MALAMI had declared the newly launched South-West security outfit, ‘Operation Amotekun’ illegal.
But while reacting to the MALAMI’S verdict, AKEREDOLU, who is also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said MALAMI is yet to back-up his claims with any sections of the Nigerian Constitution.
The governor said “when he comes out with relevant portions of the law on the matter, we will consider it and respond adequately as the law stipulates.”
AKEREDOLU said in an interview on Politics Today programme on Channels Television on Wednesday.
“One thing is clear, laws are not made in the office of the Attorney General; he can only interpret the laws and give positions of government on matters relating to the law,”
“We owe Malami no obligation of consultation over Amotekun; Malami should go to Court if he is not comfortable with Amotekun”
The governor added that the governors from the region are yet to meet since the pronouncement from the office of the AGF.
AKEREDOLU, who is also the Chairman of the South-West Governors Forum, insisted that the governors who fight the battle in the court of law on the legality of the outfit.
Also speaking today at the parade and wreath laying of the 2020 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration, held at the cenotaph ALAGBAKA, AKURE, the governor said, “the security of our people is very paramount to us, that is why you voted us in. Operation Amotekun is to complement the efforts of the armed force and the police .
“So we are on very sound legal ground, and we will pursue this to a logical conclusion. Operation Amotekun is one of the solutions we can profer to the security challenges in the South Western Nigeria.
“We want to assure you that the activities of the personnel working for the outfit have not come out and someone sat in his office and said they are paramilitary, how, how did he come to that conclusion?
“I said to you that we have prepared to ensure that we pursue it to a logical conclusion. We will monitor the outfit and streamline it along the mandate of securing lives and properties of the people of Ondo State and entire western Nigeria and as I said at the launch, it would not be used for political purposes. It is not a paramilitary outfit. Let us make that clear“ He concluded.
