The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has accused Amotekun, the South West regional security outfit, of intimidating other ethnic groups living and doing business in the region. According to the Islamic organization, members of Amotekun are profiling and intimidating Northerners traveling down south.
MURIC further accused the security outfit of engaging in extra-judicial killings of Yoruba people. The group’s claim was contained in a statement signed and issued to DAILY POST on Thursday by its director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola.
“Reports reaching us indicate that the South West regional security outfit, Amotekun, has been engaging in extra-judicial killings,” MURIC said.
“Among those killed without proper recourse to law were Akolade Gbadebo, a 400 level student of the University of Ibadan, who was killed on 26th December, 2020. Seven Fulanis were also reported killed at Ayete in Ibarapa North Local Government area of Oyo State on Monday, 11th January, 2021.
“We also have reports that vehicles coming from or going to the North are being stopped by members of the Amotekun corps. They order Hausa-Fulanis to disembark, search them and almost strip them naked.
“MURIC strongly condemns this act of stereotyping of a particular ethnic group.
“The intimidation of Northern travelers violates the spirit and letter of Section 41 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
“We believe that Amotekun can be useful in stemming the tide of insecurity in the South West without targeting any particular ethnic group,” MURIC alleged.
Recall that Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) had recently warned the Fulani apex socio-cultural organisation, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) against an alleged “plot” to infiltrate Amotekun.
OPC gave the warning while reacting to MACBAN’s call for inclusion of its members and other ethnic bodies in the outfit.
In a similar development, a South West group, the Yoruba One Voice (YOV), had called on the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu to, without further delay inaugurate the Amotekun in the state.
The group made the call while expressing concern about the spate of insecurity, wondering why it took the Governor “almost a year to inaugurate the outfit”.
Amotekun, with the motto ‘zero tolerance to crime’, was founded on January 9, 2020 by the six governors of the South West Nigeria for the purpose of curbing insecurity in the region.