Gov. Makinde Says, Malami Lacks Power To Ban Amotekun

The Governor of Oyo state, Seyi Makinde, has reacted to the federal government declaration of the southwest joint security outfit known as Operation Amotekun as illegal.

Makinde in a his reaction stressed that the Attorney General of the Federal lacks the jurisdiction to ban the security outfit.

He disclosed this during a visit to the former President Olusegun Obasanjo at his private residence located in the premises of Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

Makinde, who got to Obasanjo’s residence around 2:30 pm had a closed-door meeting with his host.

Although, details of their discussion was not known, but speaking to journalists after the closed-door meeting, Makinde said he was at Obasanjo residence to greet him for the new year.

His words, “I have come to visit Baba to wish him happy new year. You know, he is Our Baba”.

On Amotekun security outfit, Makinde declared that the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mallam Abubakar Malami lacked the power to make laws of his own regarding the legality or otherwise of the newly launched South West security outfit coded “Operation Amotekun”.

He urged members of the public to regard statement credited to the Attorney General as hearsay since neither himself, nor any other governors from the South West who cosponsored the regional security outfit has even been officially communicated over the constitutionality of ” Amotekun”.

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He noted that it would be improper for the Attorney General to outrightly condemn the constitutionality of “Amotekun” without due recourse to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, particularly when his duties was only limited to interpreting laws.

“My personal position is that you actually don’t run a government on social media. If I see a letter or a call from the AGF telling me what he just said, then it will be a different reaction. But I have been reading it just like you read it on social media. I haven’t seen anything official to that effect”, the governor said.

“I don’t think in a country like Nigeria, the AGF will just wake up and make his own laws. He may interpret and advise the President on the issue”.

He noted that Amotekun was formed to complement the efforts of the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies in the country.

“This outfit is to complement the efforts of the Nigerian Police and other security agencies in fighting insecurity in the Southwest region of the country.”