The police on Sunday strongly warned the South - West Stakeholders Security Group working with the Western Nigeria Security Outfit codenamed Operation Amotekun ( leopard), against any breach of security .

The police commands in Ekiti , Ogun and Ondo states during separate interviews with our correspondents , said they would not tolerate illegal possession of firearms by the members of the group .

They said anybody in possession of illegal weapons would be arrested .

Also , a top police officer , who confided in The PUNCH , said the operatives could only use Dane guns , which do not use cartridges .

The SSSG , comprising the Oodua Peoples Congress, the Vigilante Group of Nigeria , the South - West Hunters Association , the South - West Agbekoya Group , Agbekoya Farmers Society Group , Yoruba Youth Council and the Community Security Awareness Initiative Corps of Nigeria , is led by Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Chief Gani Adams .

Lagos , Osun and Ekiti state governments had, on Friday , said they would recruit about 1 , 320 operatives from the OPC and other groups for the Operation Amotekun, which was launched by the South -West states on Thursday .

The states , had before the launch , said the OPC and other members of the SSSG , would be used for intelligence gathering.
But Adams , in an interview with The PUNCH on Monday , said the OPC members and others should not be used for intelligence gathering alone.

He said for effectiveness , they should be trained and supervised by the police . “ Security is about life and death . The police and other security agents can train them and license their gun use to greatly assist in the operation . They should not detain suspects but hand them over to the police , ’’ Adams said .

Following serial killings and kidnapping in the South - West , governors in governors in the zone had at a meeting
in June decided to set up
Operation Amotekun . ...

https://punchng.com/operation-amotekun-carry-illegal-arms-be-arrested-police-warn-opc-hunters/



But the herdsmen are allowed to use A-K 47? Who are they fooling? Dane guns versus A-K 47?

Nonsense

It is natural for Nigeria Police to be apprehensive about the likely takeover of their jobs but it is also completely immature for the police to be granting interviews that will suggest they are ready to undermine the noble ideas of WNSN.

Now, we are not unaware of some of the professional lapses of the Nigeria Police but at the same time we recognise the inadequacy of manpower on their part. Must we now continue to leave in fair because of system failure when we can hire hands that are familiar with the terrain to augment the efforts of police. Can't the leadership of police arrange for training that we serve the need of the outfit all in our society 's best interests?

With this kind of headline, people may easily conclude that should this arrangement fail, it has been undermine by the police with the active connivance of some politicians from from other regions, especially the NORTH.

The implications of such impressions can be very dangerous for our co-existence as a country. It has been noted by the public already that none of the Police senior officers graced the inauguration of the outfit, an indication of unwillingness to work together.

The IGP should please note that, all sections of Nigeria are important and security of life and prosperity shouldn't be taking for granted. What Nigerians actually desire is State Police but since GMB is reluctant to support that idea, the Police should please allow and support the new arrangements by working out a careful system for collaboration. After 2023, we shall continue the restructuring of this country.