By SUNNY OKIM

A Yoruba socio-cultural group, Yoruba Appraisal Forum, in coalition with a cross section of the civil society and other Yoruba socio-cultural groups have sounded a note of warning to the South West governors on the formation of the security network named Amotekun.

The forum is acusing the governors of throwing their weight and resources behind a security outfit whose real motive they are not aware of.

It is the belief of the forum that the recently launched security network is an instrument to perpetrate crime and make political gains for a few individuals masquerading as having the love of the people of the region at heart.

The full statement issued by the coalition Wednesday evening and signed by the convener, Adesina Animashaun, a copy of which was made available to News Express reads:

SOUTH WEST GOVERNORS, TAKE A BREAK AND PULSE ON AMOTEKUN BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE

Communique issued by YORUBA APPRAISAL FORUM, in coalition with civil society, self determination and other Yoruba groups, at the end of our meeting in Lagos on Wednesday, March 11, 2020.

Having met and deliberated on the recently launched South West Security Network and subsequent developments now surrounding the initiative, we noted the following:

1. That the euphoria of the launch of the Amotekun security outfit by the governors of the six South West states has continued to excite the people of the region and Nigerians in other parts of the country.
2. That the security initiative is a healthy development, which, ordinarily, no right-thinking person should oppose.
3. That the razzmatazz attending the launch of Amotekun and the passage of the bills establishing it into law by the Houses of Assembly in each of the six South West states seem to have blinded even people, who should be discerning enough, to the reality and danger inherent in this new regional security outfit of the Yoruba states.
4. That unknown to most Nigerians, including those in authority, some unscrupulous individuals have hijacked the initiative for some sinister purposes.
5. That our latest findings about Amotekun are shocking and now a source of serious concern about this South West security outfit.
6. That although the intention of those who originally conceived the idea of Amotekun was a noble one, as they set out to protect the people of the region against criminal elements causing wanton destruction of lives and property, the idea has been hijacked and now intended for purposes that could be injurious to the continued corporate existence of Nigeria.
7. That we have uncovered plans to use Amotekun to destabilise the South West and ultimately the entire country.
8. That it’s an incontrovertible fact that in the event of any chaos in the South West, people from other parts of the country residing in the region- Igbo, Hausa and others- will bear the brunt as no one can guarantee the safety of their persons, business and investments in Yorubaland.
9. That the alarm raised by eminent Nigerians, including the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mallam Abubakar Malami; the Convener of the Muslim Rights Congress (MURIC) Prof. Ishaq Akintola; former governor of old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa; and the leadership of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore on the dangers inherent in establishment of the South-West security initiative, cannot be discountenanced, after all.
10. That the current promoters (hijackers) of the idea, unbeknownst to the South West governors and the innocent people of the region, who see it as a new force to provide them adequate security against the activities of criminal elements, since the police seem overwhelmed by the security challenges across the country, have through devious means, subtle and outright naked threat, taken over Amotekun for the purpose of achieving their selfish agenda of dismembering Nigeria; of course, in collaboration with their foreign sponsors. The indications to this are very clear.
11. That the South West governors are ignorant by throwing their weight and resources behind a security outfit whose real motive they are not aware of.
12. That we make bold to say that the reality is that Amotekun is an instrument to perpetrate crime and make political gains for a few individuals masquerading as having the love of the people of the region at heart.
13. That Amotekun has been hijacked by those who don’t mean well for Yorubaland and the country at large. They plan to hide under the guise of providing security to cause mayhem in the country. All they wanted was to hijack control of security architecture and this they have successfully achieved with the Amotekun.
14. That all Nigerians should beware of this security outfit of the South West, which the hijackers also plan to use against the same people they claim to protect.

Meanwhile, information reaching News Express has it that the forum is planning a peacful protest against Amotekun on Thursday, March 12, 2020 in Lagos.