In Nigeria, religion is unfortunately everything, which is why the recent security network established for the South-west region is being given religious colouration in Osun state as LATEEF DADA writes.
The launch of Western Nigeria Security Outfit (Operation Amotekun) is generating furore in Osun state following its rejection by some Muslim groups over allegation that the outfit is a Christian religious organisation whose activities are shrouded in secrecy.
Sign of the first crack
The rejection first emanated from a group, Osun State Muslim Community, which alleged that the process where recruits are asked to produce birth certificates from churches is a deliberate action to silence the Muslims in the region, although efforts to confirm the authenticity of this claim proved futile.
In a communique issued at the end of a delegates’ meeting held in Osogbo, the Muslim community said that they were in full support of existing security outfit for protection of life and property in Nigeria provided by the constitution.
In the communique jointly signed by its president and secretary, Alhaji Mustafa Olawuyi and Alhaji Hashim Ilelabade Olapade, respectively, it stated that, “The composition and establishment of Amotekun in the South- west is unacceptable by the Osun State Muslim Community as highlighted in its nomenclature. Osun State Muslim Community is in full support of existing security outfit for protection of life and property in Nigeria provided by the Nigeria constitution and the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The establishment of Operation Amotekun is shrouded in secrecy, inimical to security of lives and property and the progress of the nation; therefore, should be discountenanced.”
Immediately after, other Islamic organisations joined in condemning the establishment of the security outfit claiming that the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has hijacked the process.
Other critics followed
The founder and national president of Jama’at Taawunil Muslimeen, Sheikh Daood Imran Molaasan, in a statement maintained that a security outfit whose regional coordinators are all Christians in a secular society cannot but have sinister motive. The Muslim group also expressed concern over the success of the security outfit, wondering how governors who cannot pay workers’ salaries would run such security outfit successfully.
Molaasan said, “Security of life and property is everybody’s concern. But this doesn’t just happen without the collective efforts of individuals living in that society. When consensus is not made, civil violence might be the end results.
“Truly, we are living in a porous society where human life is worthless. It has always been life with tears and general insecurity is overwhelming. So, no reasonable Yoruba or a good Nigerian will support Amotekun because the idea is from a political circle whose tenure would not exceed eight years. It would have been better if it emanated from the security cycle devoid of personality taint. There is no how those governors who have expiry date in office can guarantee the future of Amotekun. So, its future is uncertain as it can also be used for political gains.
“Those who are to finance this project are the one who are unable to pay the minimum wage and workers’ salaries. After eight years, what is the possibility of continuity without any financial backup?
“We are talking about security of the people; how can such be attached to a particular religion and how can its regional coordinators be all Christians? From all indications, it seems there is sinister motive behind its establishment.
“How can one expect Muslims who are witnesses to the persecution of Muslims under a Christian militia force in Central Africa Republic, Bosnia, Myanmar and other places to believe in such one-sided militia force? To a Muslim, it is nothing but Christian agenda.
“In Nigeria, where there is an established security system, there is no how Amotekun can operate independently without the help of police. So, it has to be restructured for it to be effective.
“As Yorubas and South-west-based Islamic organisation, there is a need for the government to curb this security menace to safeguard the oneness of the country. From what we have seen so far, if Amotekun is left uncurbed, its end would be disastrous.
“Although, there is nothing wrong in setting up security corps, if the federal government would be involved, but not this sectional security network whose agenda is to divide Nigeria based on religion and tribalism.
Yet another group raises alarm
Another religious/socio-political group, Muslim Political Awareness Front (MUPAF), in a release signed by its national coordinator, Malam Lukman Obembe, maintained that ‘Operation Amotekun’ was established to promote Christian religious agenda in Yoruba land.
“The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has hijacked Amotekun by using the opportunity of five Christians out of the six governors to christianise the agenda. They cannot even hide their agenda to the extent that all the said coordinators across the six states and their director generals are all Christians. Are they telling us that there is no capable Muslim in all the states that are qualified to handle security affairs?
“Another agenda is the criteria for application process that birth certificates from Church and applications must be duly signed by applicant’s pastor.
“We are not saying we should not find solutions to any security threat that we think is affecting the region but we should realise that South-west is a multi-religious region where we have Muslims, Christians and traditional worshipers.
“As a result of this, if anything would be done to represent the interest of the region, especially, something that has to do with security of lives and property, all stakeholders should be carried along and their interests must be protected rather than some Christian groups with ulterior motive pretending to be working in the interest of all. We cannot accept this as South-west regional agenda but a Christianised agenda.
“We cannot afford to be slaves in our father land. As a result of this, Amotekun is a threat to Nigeria’s security and we want one Nigeria.”
State gov’t debunks claims
The state government in apparent reaction to the allegation of the Muslim groups stated that no appointment has been made in Osun, warning those opposed to the project to consider the existential threats facing the geo-political zone.
The statement by the chief press secretary to Governor Gboyega Oyetola, Mr Ismail Omipidan said, “The raging debate over the launch of South-west Security Network otherwise known as Amotekun is no doubt healthy and a welcome development. But to politicise it on the altar of religion and ethnicity would be unhealthy, dangerous and counter-productive.
“Amotekun is a collective response by the South-west region to the spate of armed banditry, rape, kidnapping, and other violent crimes that suddenly became a past time in this region.
“To therefore claim that it is an agenda against a particular faith or adherents of a particular religion is not only preposterous, but also in bad taste. Kidnapping, rape and armed banditry have no religion and know no tribe or ethnicity.
“For the records, no recruitment has been carried out so far, especially in our dear State of Osun. So, rather than constitute ourselves into opposing a project we all clamoured for in response to existential threats for which some of the governors in the region have been called out and vilified in the past, we should rally support for Amotekun by coming up with strategies to fine-tune it with a view to bridging any communication gap between the federal government and the South-west governors.
“The State of Osun is committed to protecting its citizens and every reasonable and responsible Osun indigene must join our collective resolve as a government to protect our citizens and their property.
Muslim body calls for wider consultation
Meanwhile, the umbrella body of Muslims in the South-west, Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN) has been working to bring calm between the Muslim groups and the government. In a statement signed by Professor Muslih Tayo Yahya, it said the umbrella body for all Muslims in the South-western part of Nigeria is concerned about the controversy that trailed the recent inauguration of the Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSC) codenamed Operation Amotekun.
“Besides the legal issues that the launch of the initiative threw up, we are worried by the ethnic, religious and political dimensions to the public debate. Since the controversy broke out, MUSWEN has exercised restraint with a view to ensuring that our position is based on irrefutable facts and not sentiments.
“MUSWEN duly recognises the fact that government at all levels has a duty to protect and secure all citizens within its constituency. In the same vein, we recognise the right of every citizen to demand adequate security from the government. Indeed, in the recent past, in the face of upsurge in insecurity across the country, MUSWEN had made entreaties to the government to double its efforts on security matters. We, therefore, reiterate our commitment to the good of all citizens, irrespective of their backgrounds.
“We want to appeal to the promoters of the security initiative to turn the recent setback to an opportunity. They should now embark on wider consultation with all segments of the citizens in the South-west geopolitical zone with a view to engendering the buy-in of all stakeholder groups. It is regrettable that right from the security summit that was organised by the state governments in conjunction with DAWN Commission, the Muslim community in the zone was neither consulted nor involved in the process leading up to the inauguration of the initiative. We wish to reiterate the fact that the Muslim community isn’t all about religion, rather, it is an important stakeholder group comprising many top-level experts in various fields of human endeavour who are committed to the development of the region and the nation.
“It must also be emphasised that the operational framework of the security initiative must be sensitive to the peculiarities of all segments of the citizens in the region – Muslims, Christians and others. It must be run as a modern professional security organisation devoid of fetish practices. Besides, the initiative should never be used to ignite ethnic crisis. We reject in totality all forms of ethnic profiling that some zealots are promoting in the media. All criminals, irrespective of their backgrounds, should have no place in our region and our nation.”
