The Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has said he would not pay any serious attention to a statement purportedly from the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami SAN, condemning the launch of ‘Operation Amotekun’.
He said that the AGF has yet to communicate to him or any of the other five South-West governors officially on the matter.
Recall that the South-West governors launched ‘Operation Amotekun’, the Western Nigeria Security Network, last Thursday.
But in a statement, the AGF described it as “illegal”, saying that security was the exclusive preserve of the Federal Government.
Makinde noted that the AGF’s purported position should be regarded as “hearsay” until he and the other governors get official correspondence from the AGF on the matter.
He added that 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”.
The governor spoke to journalists shortly after he paid a courtesy visit to former President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta, Ogun State on Wednesday.
Makinde said, “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.
“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 stressed that Amotekun was formed to complement the efforts of the Nigeria Police Force on security in the geopolitical zone.
“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,” Makinde said.
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