The Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria has alleged religious intolerance in the planning and formation of southwest security outfit code named “Amotekun”.
Sarkin Fulani of Oyo state, Alhaji Salihu Kadiri, also said Monday that the Fulani across the South west states are not in support of the composition of the South west region joint security outfit, Operation Amotekun.
Speaking at a press conference in Osogbo, Osun state, on Monday, the Vice President of the body, Sheik Abdur’Rasheed Hadiyatullah, who led other members, described the Amotekun as a method to Christianise the Southwest.
He said Sharia Council, the Muslim communities in the Southwest were alienated in all the arrangements that produced the Amotekun.
“Amotekun programme is viewed as a subtle method of further Christianization of the Southwest by its promoters in their usual manner of having political and power dominance over Muslims in the region.
The Sharia Council also condemned the formation of Amotekun wondering why it should be used to jettison and neglect an already existing security outfit like Vigilante group which it said “requires just a little fund, readjustment and resourcefulness to perform better in the area of community policing.
Sarkin Fulani of Oyo state, Alhaji Kadiri also stated during a chat with journalists at the inauguration of the newly elected Oyo state NUJ exco/ end of the year party for NUJ members in the state held at the Jogor Centre, in Ibadan that going by the present composition of the regional security outfit, it “is more sectional and purposely against Fulani herders”.
Alhaji Kadiri said with its guidelines and mode of operations , it is obvious that Amotekun security outfit is one sided and needs to be put in place properly for effective operation.
He also said there is the need for the Southwest governors to ensure the inclusion of Fulanis and other ethnic militia in the region among those to be recruited for Amotekun .
He stated that if truly Operation Amotekun is for the security of people in the South west ,the composition must be for all and not for only the Yoruba militia groups like the OPC, Agbekoya, and others alone.
“For now, we, the Fulanis in the South west are not in support of Operation Amotekun. With its present composition, Amotekun look more sectional, it looks as if it is meant to fight the Fulani herders who the farmers are accusing of using their cows to destroy their farms. That is the truth,” he said.
