Nigeria

Amotekun: Police stop Lagos rally in support of security outfit

Tuesday, January 21, 2020 at 12:48 PM by Onyirioha Nnamdi

- A rally organised by Yoruba World Congress (YWC) in Lagos has been stalled by the police

- The march was a demonstration of support for Operation Amotekun, a security initiative created by southwest governors

- Police officers also sealed off the Gani Fawehinmi Park, venue of the rally

The solidarity march in support of Operation Amotekun proposed by the Yoruba World Congress (YWC) in Lagos was on Tuesday, January 21, stalled by officers of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF).

Police officers were also seen barricading the Gani Fawehinmi Park where the rally has been slated to take place, and by so doing, prevented entry to the place, The Nigerian reports.

Legit.ng had reported that governors in the region had said that there was no plan to back down on the already established Operation Amotekun in the geopolitical zone.

Amotekun: Police stop Lagos rally in support of security outfit — Police officers sealed off the Gani Fawehinmi Park which is the venue of the rally (Photo credit: Vanguard)
Source: UGC

The governors on Sunday, January 19, said that the Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSN), codename Operation Amotekun, had come to stay.

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Speaking on the launch of the operation, the governor of Ondo state, Rotimi Akeredolu, stated that they won't give in into the blackmail within or outside the region that the establishment of the security outfit is illegal.

Akeredolu who is the chairman of the Southwest Governors' Forum said Amotekun was initiated to complement the efforts of conventional security agencies that appear to have been hampered by the absence of local intelligence gathering.

In a statement released by the Ondo state commissioner for information, Donald Ojogo, the governor said by the time the security outfit is in full operation, local information and intelligence gathering for the police, Nigerian Army and other conventional security agencies would be made easy.

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Also noting that the Amotekun scheme is not targeted at any non-south west ethnic group, Akeredolu said that its benefits are to be reaped by all Nigerians irrespective of ethnic or religious placements.