Amotekun: The Southwest region’s response to the failures of the Nigerian police and worsening insecurity in Nigeria

ABSTRACT

This article explores the concept of ‘Amotekun,’ the newly inaugurated security outfit of the southwest region of Nigeria. It investigates the various constructions of this initiative which have raised debates on the security potentials of the initiative. It examines the constitutional implications of this development and how it resonates with the clamour for regional police and community policing and the overall restructuring of the country. It assesses the security architecture of Nigeria in the light of pervading insecurity across the country and the inability of the federal government to provide security for its citizens. Using the Social Contract theory, the article argues that the failure of government to secure lives and properties which is a breach of its social contract with Nigerians gave rise to the ‘self help’ initiatives such as Amotekun. It contends that correcting this breach of the contract by government through a constitutional amendment or a new constitution which removes police issues from the exclusive list to the concurrent lists in the federal constitution as well as give more powers to the federating units is fundamental not only in solving the security issues in the country but also in tackling other issues confronting the country.

KEYWORDS:

• Insecurity
• Southwest Nigeria
• Amotekun
• state policing
• Nigerian constitution
• Federalism

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Matthew Cocker, Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese often alluded to this.

2. This group has been considered one of the terrorist groups in Nigeria by International Terror Index, Femi Fani-Kayode, Speaking on African Independent television (AIT)programme The politics of operation ‘Amotekun’ 22 January 2020 at https://web.facebook.com/watch/?v=172458883853062 (accessed 3 March 2020).

3. Senator Ike Ekweremadu discussing the escalating security challenges vis-a-vis the State Police Bill on Channels TV programme, Hardcopy, Friday, 21 February 2020, at 8.30 pm. Available at https://www.channelstv.com/2020/02/23/introduction-of-community-policing-is-a-fraud-says-ekwerema du/ (accessed 13 July 2020).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kenneth Chukwuemeka Nwoko

Kenneth Chukwuemeka Nwoko is professor of History & International Studies and currently the Dean, College of Humanities, McPherson University, Seriki Sotayo, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria.