Amotekun was nowhere to be found during #EndSARS crisis – Junaid Mohammed

Dr. Junaid Mohammed

By TEMIDAYO AKINSUYI, Lagos

Dr. Junaid Mohammed, elder statesman and Second Republic federal lawmaker has said the Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSN), codenamed Operation Amotekun did not live up to its responsibilities during the #EndSARS protests mayhem in Lagos and some South-West states.

Hoodlums, who seized the #EndSARS protests, unleashed an orgy of violence resulting in the destruction of public and private assets.

Speaking in an interview with INDEPENDENT, Junaid also condemned pan- Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere and its leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, whom he said threatened South-West governors with revolt if they failed to establish Amotekun in their respective states.

He said: “These characters in Afenifere under this Ayo Adebanjo are making noise and saying publicly that if Yoruba governors don’t create Amotekun, they are going to incite their people against the government.  A responsible man will never say this.

“If they want to create a crisis because you don’t like some people, fine. Other people will also create their problems.  We were told that Amotekun is a harmless but effective security organisation. Now we are having #EndSARS crisis with looting and arson, have you seen one Amotekun official or a single-vehicle anywhere in the South-West? They simply disappeared.

“Let me tell you this and I have been saying it in the past 30 years. If every state in Nigeria can take of their own security, Kano my home state and Lagos can never do that because they don’t have the manpower. Kano and Lagos people don’t join the police force because they are mostly business people and traders.

“I want to throw a challenge to the federal government. Let them withdraw all the security operatives in Lagos and Kano. Let’s see how there will be peace there,” he said. (Daily Independent)