It’s a reality, Nigeria can’t dodge from state police — Ogun Amotekun Commander, CP Akinremi (rtd)
It is a year since Ogun State Security Network otherwise known as Amotekun Corps was inaugurated. The Corps Commander, Commisioner of Police, Dave Akinremi (rtd) speaks with Bankole Taiwo on the journey so far, as well as the future of the security outfit among other topical issues. According to him, Nigeria cannot, for too long, avoid having a State Police. He believes the Amotekun Corps is the forerunner to the structure of State Police in the Nigerian federation. Excerpts:
Tell us how the journey has been over the last one year as far as the initiative of Amotekun Corps in Ogun State is concerned?
We thank God for how far the good Lord has helped us. The inauguration of the Amotekun Security Corps was done on April 1st, 2021. We actually started with six local government areas of Imeko-Afon, Yewa North, Ipokia, Sagamu, Ijebu North and Ijebu Ode local government areas. This was because of series of security breaches we were having in those areas at that time ranging from farmers-herders clashes to cultism, kidnapping, robbery among others. We thank God that some of these things have gone down. We embarked on series of advocacy visits and meetings between the farmers and the herders and we encourage the continued peaceful coexistence. The Peace Committee set up by the state government that we are also part of, has also been up with ongoing engagement with the traditional rulers, as well as people of different communities, encouraging both farmers and herders to tow the path of peace and we thank God that we are getting good result. We later extended our tentacles to Ado-Odo/Ota, Ifo, Abeokuta South, Ogun Waterside and in short all the 20 local government areas in the state. We thank God we have contributed our quota to fighting criminalities in the state.
Can you really say that Ogun State is now peaceful?
Of course, because Ogun State has always been peaceful. When you compare the level of crime in Ogun with that of others, you will truly agree with me that the State is peaceful. The only thing is that whenever any little thing happens here, it goes viral. Sincerely, the security outfits in the State whether the police, DSS, Amotekun and all the rest, are not leaving anything to chance. They are always working round the clock to keep the State safe. Luckily for us, we have a governor who is so passionate about developing the State and he knew quite alright that all these monumental development, industrialisation and the rest could not thrive without adequate security; hence he has been investing so much in strengthening the security architecture of the State. With this favourable disposition of our governor, the jobs are becoming easier to do. The governor has been supporting very wonderfully all the security agencies in the State, and aside this, all the heads of the security agencies have also been working together as a team. We have always cooperated to arrest any security breach in any part of the State. In all of this, I didn’t say that we don’t use to have incidents of crime, but we have always been up to the task.
Recently, one Tunde called Badoo was killed by the Amotekun Corps during a gun duel with cultists around Elega, Iberekodo Abeokuta. His mother has however cried out saying that her son was not a cultist but a Vulcanizer and that he was busy attending to his business when your men gunned him down, what do you say to this?
He wasn’t a cultist but was with gun and had engaged the security agents in a shootout, and was his mother there? She wasn’t, and only saying what never added up. The truth is that he engaged operatives in a shootout and was shot to be disarmed. The outburst is expected because of the loss suffered by the parent but a spade should be called a spade. If their son hadn’t turned himself to something else to the extent of engaging security agents in a shootout, he wouldn’t have lost his life. He was actually shot to be disarmed but ran into the bush with his colleagues and later when the security agents were combing the bush, he was seen and taken to the hospital but apparently he had lost so much blood and later died. His name is Badoo, what is the meaning of that, yet his mother or their sympathisers are saying all sorts of things. Yes, nobody is happy that a life was lost, but as you lay your bed, so you lie on it. You can’t pull the trigger at an armed security agent and you expect him to be smiling back at you. Unfortunately, many parents of now-a-days will also want do some cover up. We have got to contend with a lot of bad parenting these days. Things weren’t like these when we were growing up. We must go back to the basis; we must begin to embrace those strong values of yesteryears. We must let our children know that there is dignity in labour, that hardwork pays and that you can be whatever you choose to be, that engaging in crimes and criminalities is not good — it can only cut your life and dream short. As parents, we should begin to be good examples to our children. Your children are riding cars that those who have worked for 35 years can’t afford, yet you won’t ask questions until you see the security agents. We must go back to the basis.
There has not been much of herders/farmers clashes this year, are we attributing this to the setting up of Amotekun?
It has really been a collaborative effort. You know I told you of the Peace Committee set up by the government that we are also part of, and we have been going around doing lots of advocacy on why we must all give peace a chance. The farmers have also been told not to take laws into their hands, but rather report to relevant authorities in case of issues arising from the herders grazing their farm, and once the farmers hear that it is Amotekun, they tend to be more relaxed believing that justice would be ensured on both sides. In a nutshell, it has been a collaborative efforts of all the security agents and we hope and pray that things will keep on getting better.
Another issue we do have here when talking about fighting crime is that many of these criminals, within the shortest possible time, are back in the society after their arrest, what are you doing with diligent prosecution?
That is a general problem, even when I was with the police. The law presumes that an accused is innocent until proven otherwise. Sometimes, the problem is not having thorough investigation on the part of the police. The position of our law is that the onus is on who has brought any case to prove it beyond reasonable doubt. The judges or magistrates won’t manufacture evidence, but would rely on the evidence before them. So, if the evidence is not there, such that the judge or magistrate begins to doubt, what the law says is that if in doubt, the matter should be resolved in favour of the accused. Some of the judges however, hide under this lacuna for selfish interest or purpose and would discharge such suspect. I didn’t say all of them, but some.
Don’t you think there should be synergy between the security agents and the judiciary, such that those grey areas could be identified and addressed since the essence of arresting these criminals is to serve as deterrent?
Yes, there is a kind of synergy between the security agents and judiciary. I remember that as CP in a state, we had something like that which involved the police, the judiciary and the prison service which is now called Correctional Service. This helps to know what is happening to suspects ABC, whether it is the police that is not producing the witnesses or mishandling the case; it may also be that it is the Correctional Service that is not producing the suspect assuming the suspect is on remand; it may also be that the problem is from the judiciary. So, this kind of collaboration helps to monitor some of these suspects and you can be so sure of getting better results. You can always know where the problem is and raise alarm. I think something like that is also being done in Ogun State and I only encourage that they should meet regularly to ensure things get better.
Do you sometimes resort to going traditionally or using an unconventional means to fight crime?
We are always ready to give it to those criminals whichever way they bring it. Our officers are equal to the task at any point in time. So, we are ready at anytime. I won’t say more than that.
What are the challenges of the Amotekun Corps?
There is no organisation that won’t have its challenges, but the good Lord has been helping us to work around it for our modest achievements in the last one year. We are also happy with the support we are getting from the people. Just recently, some people donated four motorcycles and a Sienna bus to us. We are glad people are seeing this Amotekun Corps as their own and they are giving us adequate support. One is happy with the confidence the people are now reposing in us. We just want to plead for more support from the people. They should know that our Amotekun is their own and should leave no stone unturned to further assist us to make more success of the security outfit. All those money wasted on vanities of life should be diverted to supporting us, because it is when there is security that as cocoa farmer you can go to your farm – I mean nothing can be done in an atmosphere devoid of peace and security.
What is the future of Amotekun Corps?
Nigeria can’t for too long dodge the reality of state police, call it restructuring. Even in the US that we are copying, some States have county police that is, local government police. This is in addition to federal and state police. Why has it become so difficult for us to embrace the much talked about state police? We are practicing federal system of government and from my background as a political scientist and lawyer, I know that a federation is an amalgamation of federating units. Power is therefore devolved to the federating units and one of such powers is state police. Is that not what operates in the U.S. that we patterned our democracy and government after? It is just unfortunate that our leaders always want to do what suits them and not what benefits the populace. The truth is that we can’t run away for a long time from having state police. Even while I was still serving in the police, I was making the call for a state police. For instance, why is that now, the people will rather prefer that Amotekun handles some things for them than the police? It is because they believe that Amotekun is their own, they also know you the officer, you live among the people, so God save you if you decide to engage in sharp practices or do as you like. This is unlike a police officer who is from another part of the country but only serving say in Ibadan; he may decide to do things the way he likes because he has got nothing to lose. The truth is that Nigeria is still not a nation, it’s a nation of several nations. Many still go about with primordial sentiment. Rather than seeing yourself as a Nigerian first and foremost, you want to see yourself first as a Yoruba man. Even among the Egbas here in Yoruba land, you will also want to see yourself as Egba Ake, Egba Owu and the likes. I sincerely know that the Amotekun Corps is the forerunner of the much expected state police because many prominent and eminent Nigerians have been making this call. It is just a matter of time, just very soon having state police will become a reality.
