Former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode has urged the Federal Government to shelf the idea of outlawing the newly launched South-West paramilitary security outfit, Amotekun.
Fani-Kayode who stated this to newsmen at his Abuja residence said the security outfit was a creation of the South-West governors to safeguard lives and property of Yoruba people and no form of threat would deter the people from embracing Amotekun.
The former minister made this statement following the comment made by Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami that the paramilitary organization called Amotekun is “illegal and contrary to the provisions of the Nigerian law.”
He went ahead to ask why the federal government is not prepared to allow Amotekun takes off in the South-West, while there is Civilian Joint Task Force in the North East and Sharia Police in the North West.
Anybody that feels that he doesn’t have to support the people of the South West is making a mistake. And anybody that believes that we can be in any way intimidated by stepping down and saying we will not protect our people from those killing is mistaken.
He re-emphasized that the security outfit is here to stay and there is no going back on the security outfit in the South-West.
Fani Kayode added that he is solidly behind the governors and groups in the South West are also behind the governors.
Whether you are (a member) of the Peoples Democratic, PDP or All Progressives Congress, APC, it doesn’t matter. The fact remains that those of us that claim to be the leaders in the South West have taken a decision. We will protect our people no matter what it takes, no matter what it cost.
On federal government’s declaration of Amotekun as an illegal outfit, Fani-Kayode said:
That is just an opinion by the federal government, by the attorney general. He is a man like you and I. He is entitled to his own opinion. I have been in government for many years and I know that government officials often say things that are often meaningless; that have no substance or basis. So our opinion is different. In any case, whatever he says, whatever the court says, we have the right to self-defence. People are being slaughtered.
He reminded newsmen of how the leader of Afenifere’s daughter was slaughtered, how Olu Falae’s farm raided, and how he was kidnapped and beaten like a dog.
Fani Kayode noted that;
Thousands of our people are being slaughtered in the South West and somebody will come and tell us that his interpretation of the constitution is that we don’t have the right to self-defence.
