THE POLITICS AND PROSPECTS OF AMOTEKUN REGIONAL SECURITY NETWORK IN YORUBA SOUTH-WEST, NIGERIA

Abstract

Nigeria has grappled with several security challenges emanating from communal and religious conflicts, urban violence, arms smuggling, kidnapping, human trafficking, cybercrime, and armed robbery from independence. Recent Niger Delta militancy, Boko-Haram insurgency in the North-East, Fulani herdsmen, bandits attacks, kidnapping, and ritual killings have continued to wreak havoc on the country’s security landscape. Efforts to curb security challenges have seen the deployment of both conventional and unconventional measures, including the police, military and other paramilitary organisations, militias and vigilante groups. However, all these interventions are yet to produce the necessary outcomes. Thus, as a way of curbing the persistent insecurities in their states, the governors of the South-West Yoruba speaking states inaugurated the Western Nigeria Security Network Code Amotekun. Using the historical and analytical approach, the article contends that the formation of the security network despite fierce opposition by some ethnic nationalities and federal government functionaries cannot be unconnected with the successful mobilisation of the Yoruba ethnic solidarity and renaissance of common attributes. This includes the myth of common ancestry, invincibility of traditional armies and tactics as displayed in Jalumi wars and Agbekoya uprising, survival instincts, and the elite consensus among others. The article concludes that proper synergy among the Amotekun security network and state machineries would bring about the needed success with minimal suspicion.