For the second time in about a week, the Federal Government has declared the Southwest Security outfit, Operation Amotekun, as an illegal entity not known to the constitution of Nigeria and which can never be allowed to stand.
The Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, made the declaration in Abuja in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Dr. Umar Gwandu and made available to Vanguard on Thursday.
Malami maintained that no amount of sentiments would make the Federal Government abandon the path of rule of law and trade of illegality in the administration of Nigeria.
The minister, who maintained that the Nigerian constitution makes no room for a regional army, pointed out that the government was not at war with any of the states of the federation.
Malami said: “No amount of effort to hide the truth will work. People could be carried away by sentimental or emotional inclinations, but truth remains apparently palpable. The bottom line is that the current Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria does not accommodate formation of regional security architecture.
“This is a fact which is undisputable and undeniable. Mr. Falana was prevaricating and circumlocuting using evasive techniques when he was asked by the media to justify the presence of lacuna within the law which could establish or protect the concept of regionalism in any operation in the country.
“This arrangement called Amotekun is not backed by any law neither at the State nor at the Federal Government level. Amotekun, therefore, remains unconstitutional and illegal as already indicated.
“The Federal Government appreciates that legally-minded Nigerians have started to eschew emotions by offering legal comments on the matter as against being carried away by other inclinations.
“The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice is committed to the rule of law and a constitutional democratic Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Malami said
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