South-West plans anti-graft teams for Amotekun as Ogun, Ekiti police begin community policing recruitment

Recall that the South-West governors had at a summit in Ibadan on January 9 where they agreed to set up Operation Amotekun to address killings and kidnapping in the zone.

But the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, on January 14 kicked against the security outfit, saying it was not only illegal, but also negated the principle of federalism.

However, Malami’s statement attracted criticisms from big wigs and groups including Chief Afe Babalola, SAN; Mr Femi Falana, SAN; the Nigerian Bar Association; the Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Afenifere.

Few weeks after, today EkoHotBlog gathered that there are strong indications that the South-West states are planning to set up anti-corruption units in its security outfit, Operation Amotekun

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As reported, the unit in each state will handle cases of graft and abuse of power levelled against operatives of Amotekun.

It was learnt that the Amotekun bills, which were being drafted by the states, would make provisions for either an anti-graft unit or an ombudsman to check the excesses of the operatives.

A top official of one of the states, who confided in one of our correspondents, said, “Some of the operatives may want to take advantage of their powers to extort money from people or engage in other forms of corruption. The anti-corruption unit or an ombudsman will take care of this.”

It was gathered that the unit or the ombudsman, depending on the preference of each state, would receive complaints on cases such as bribery, extortion, misuse of power, human rights abuses and other complaints levelled against any member of Operation Amotekun.

The Ekiti State Attorney General, Wale Fapohunda, in an interview with one of our correspondents, confirmed there would be anti-corruption provisions in the proposed Amotekun law.

Explaining highlights of the proposed law, Fapohunda said, “There must be anti-corruption provisions in the law. The proposed law must have citizens’ complaints provisions, including a framework for an independent ombudsman with strong authority to receive complaints from the public on matters of corruption and abuse of power