The creation of Amotekun as a regional force to checkmate rising cases of criminal activities following incessant kidnap cases and armed robbery in the six states of South West was received with joy by leaders in the public and private sectors. Before now, Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) was recognised as a ground force being engaged by community as night guards and intervention force whenever there is breakdown of law and order. The OPC groups in various communities have become so popular that judgement of their courts such as caning and death sentence were issued unchallenged by the Nigeria Police Force. However, there is limit to the activities of OPC because there is no law to back their operatlon.
Therefore, OPC is always considered as a major threat to operation of the Nigeria Police Force. Hence, the emergence of AMOTEKUN.
Amotekun, a ground force remains a major achievement for the South West Governors that did not allow mentality of party politics to divide them and chose to fight crime with one voice.
The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams has made a promise that the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) would intensify efforts at securing the South-West.
OPC is a Yoruba nationalist, regional and vigilante organization in Nigeria. It’s also known as Oodua Liberation Movement. It was formed in 1994 by a group of Yoruba elites and artisans, having Late Fredrick Fasheun as the leader.
The organization was formed to actualize the annulled mandate of Chief M.K.O Abiola, the presumed winner of 1993 presidential election.
But in 1999, a faction broke out of the group, to be led by Gani Adams. The feud that characterized those periods was unprecedented. In a bid for reunification, Fasheun was declared leader, while Gani Adams was appointed the National Coordinator.
The OPC started well. But at a point, it became an organization for settling scores. In fact, “the fear of OPC became the beginning of wisdom.”
The publicity secretary of the group on Sunday narrated how the members of the OPC in Ikorodu Central, under Comrade Ramon Adekanbi intercepted a suspected bus driver, Tukur Abdullah, 35; Muazu Telim, 50; and Dahiru Idris, 36, while they were heading to Katsina State. The two buses were said to be loaded with large quantity of cache of live cartridges.
Aare Gani Adams has been quoted to have warned criminal elements to stay clear of the South-West.
The efforts of this group is highly commendable now that they’re coming up again. The last time we heard of them of a serious activity from them was when Goodluck Jonathan led administration saddled them with the responsibility of manning the pipelines against theft.
Now that the OPC has offered to help in securing the region, and the fact that the Amotekun Corps is on ground, established and funded by the state governments, we feel there is a need for good collaboration and integration. There is need for collaboration to avoid clash of interests.
If possible, a merger is recommended, to be followed with appropriate trainings. It is believed that the Amotekun in their compositions in those different states are short staffed. Drafting OPC members into the Corps would be a good way of making up the number.