On Amotekun Virus Spreading, Northern Governors, South East Governors Promise To Work Out Own Security Plans

                  

Now the 19 Northern states and the five in the South East are drawing up plans for their own security in the face of challenges facing the two regions.

Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State said on Friday that  the North has already gone far on the planned security architecture, while Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council (OYC) said it was in the process of launching what it called ‘Operation  Ogbunigwe’.

The governors of the Southwest states of Ekiti,Lagos,Ogun,Ondo,Osun and Oyo on Thursday formally inaugurated the Operation Amotekun to help in checking insecurity in the zone.

Lalong, who doubles as the Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum told State House correspondents in Abuja that it was imperative for the North to “key into  community policing.”

He was at the Presidential Villa to brief President Muhammadu Buhari on the Thursday killing of 12 persons at Kulben village of Kombun District of Mangu Local Government Area by people suspected to be herdsmen.

But he said the security network being planned by the northern governors does not necessarily have to be like the Southwest’s Amotekun.

Lalong said the Northern Governors’ Forum had approached Buhari in the past to inform him of plans by the region to work together to tackle the security challenges in the area locally.

      

He said the various committees set up to work out the modalities had gone far in their assignments.

He said:” We had taken a decision sometime last year. You will recall that at one time we met the president and we told him what we were doing. We set up committees and the committees have worked very hard.

”You will recall that we started our meeting from the Northwest in Katsina. We are going back to have another meeting in Northcentral.

“The situation in the South might not be the same with the North, but in the North, we are also looking at some ways that will address these issues.

“So we have gone ahead to set up committees. Those committees have done their work and we are going to meet to address these issues once and for all.

”Two, we have also agreed to key into community policing and at the level of the committee, we have already gone far. Each state is already neck deep in community policing.

”But I have not read the document, I cannot claim to have read the details of that (Amotekun) document to understand what they mean by Amotekun. I saw various vehicles that were bought, but you know if it’s about vehicles, many vehicles have been bought in the North. I bought almost 100 vehicles and gave to the police, but that is not what will address the insecurity in my state.

”So, it may vary from the South to the North, but in the North we are trying to look for a comprehensive way that will help augment what the federal government is doing in respect of insecurity.

“In Plateau State particularly, all of these things had stopped. We were not witnessing cattle rustling again, I knew what I did.

”We were not witnessing kidnapping again, even without the law in my state. But this attempt (Thursday’s killings) just happened and it has reawakened me to something else. That is why I am going back to look at another window in respect of cattle rustling.”

             
Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council (OYC) yesterday lashed out at  critics of the Southwest security outfit , Amotekun, describing them as enemies  of peace and stability.

National President of the group, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, and the Secretary General, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike,  said the Southeast was   set to launch  its own security outfit to be codenamed ‘Operation Ogbunigwe’.

The OYC said the opposition to the take-off of Amotekun was  a “confirmation that the current insecurity challenges in some parts of Southern Nigeria are creations of enemies of Nigeria, terrorists and fifth columnists who siphoned billions of dollars mapped out to tackle insecurity challenges.”

It further said: “OYC  is planning a new security outfit  to be known as ‘Operation  Ogbunigwe’ and demands  the creation of the Ministry of Homeland Security across the South East.

“The ministry is to coordinate the new regional security outfit which is  non- arm bearing and the security outfit will assist in intelligence gathering for the national security agencies.”