A frontline legal luminary in Nigeria, Mallam Yusuf Olaolu Ali (SAN) on Sunday (January 19, 2020) threw his weight behind the recently launched regional security outfit in the South West Geo-political Zone of the country tagged ‘Operation Amotekun’, describing the outfit as legal, necessary and worthwhile.
Mallam Ali indicated his support to the newly launched security outfit while fielding questions from journalists during a special luncheon he organised in honour of Professor Abdulateef Oladimeji, the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, who has just been elevated to the status of professorship, held in his residence, Adewole, Ilorin.
He said Operation Amotekun was not the first local security outfit to be floated in the country, and wondered why there is too much noise about an outfit that is out to protect lives and property of the citizens.
He called on Nigerians not to politicise the issue but to see the new security as part of measures to halt the high level of insecurity in the country.
He called for the support of the new security out, adding that such initiative needs to be assisted and supported to ensure that people live under peaceful and harmonious atmosphere.
“I was the lawyer that defended the setting up of HISBAH in Kano during the regime of President Olusegun Obasanjo, even some of the officers of the HISBAH that were charged to court were discharged and acquinted by the court base on our argument that it was not unconstitutional, and up till now HISBAH is till functioning and working well in Kano state.
“I don’t see the hues and cries about Amotekun, I don’t see anything spectacular about it. Besides, this outfit exists in many parts of Nigeria with different names such as Vigilante , Joint Task Force (JTF) and so on. I don’t think we should politicise something that has to do with our lives and limbs and property. Nobody is happy about the level of insecurity all over the places” he added.
While reacting to the legality or ilegality of the Operation Amotekun by not passing through legislative processes, Mallam Ali said Law is made for man not man made for law, adding that even HISBAH was challenged by the Federal Government that the operators didn’t make any progress out of it at the time of it’s establishment.
“We have been told by several people that we don’t have enough policemen to police Nigeria and that is part of the reasons we are having problems. I think anybody who has anything to assist our country should be assisted, should be supported. The issue of insecurity is very important” he added.
He however described the celebrant, Professor Abdulateef Oladimeji as a childhood friend and amiable Islamic Scholar with whom he has been relating with since secondary school days
The event was attended by founder of Al-Hikmah University, Alhaji Abdulraheem Oladimeji Igbaja, Vice Chancellors of Al-Hikmah University and University of Ilorin among other notable figures in the society.
End
