Abubakar Malami: Justice Minister

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, insisted on Thursday that the Western Nigeria Security Initiative, otherwise known as Amotekun was an illegal entity as it was not backed by any law and will never be allowed to stand.

Malami, who made made the declaration in Abuja in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Dr. Umar Gwandu on Thursday also said the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria does not accommodate formation of regional security architecture as was done by the governors of the Southwest states.

The Attorney General added that the recent call by Lagos lawyer, Barrister Femi Falana for governors to back up the establishment of Amotekun  with law is a further justification of his view on the matter.

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.”