‘By protecting Fulani, you’re exposing Nigerians to danger’
BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
The Field Commander of the Osun State Security Network, codenamed “Osun Amotekun Corps”, Comrade Amitolu Shittu, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to desist from being insensitive to the rising insecurity in Nigeria, arguing that other African Nations will not be able to cope if Nigeria stops existing.
Amitolu said if there was any problem in Nigeria, the whole of Africa would shake, adding that the onus was on Buhari to protect the territorial sanctity of Nigeria and secure it from the brink of collapse.
In an exclusive interview with The Point in Osogbo, he accused President Buhari of protecting some Fulani people who were into crimes across the country at the detriment of other Nigerians.
On why insecurities fester across the country, the security chief said the Federal Government had lost touch with Nigerians and that the government at the centre had failed to identify with security operatives who were maimed in the wake of the ENDSARS protest last year.
The Field Commander observed that since the nationwide Protest against Police brutality, the morale of security operatives had been dampened and that was why insecurity became the order of the day. For Amitolu, security operatives had yet to enjoy any support and empathy from the Federal Government.
He also noted that those who surrounded President Buhari had worsened the security situation across the country by not telling him the true picture of things. He described them as “enemies of the President who have compromised because of political gains.”
Amitolu advised Buhari to be alive to his constitutional responsibilities and rise to save Nigeria from the verge of collapse for the sake of other African Nations, stressing that “if there is any problem in Nigeria, the whole of Africa will shake.”
He said, “It’s like the Federal Government is trying to disconnect from the people and part of the dangers attached to EndSARS protest is that the morale that the Police now have is very low. It’s too embarrassing that those law enforcers that were killed by the hoodlums, Federal Government has never made any statement to condemn such act.
These criminals went to the extent of burning policemen and eating them up and the Federal Government didn’t do anything.
“The prolonged silence of the Federal Government is creating room for criminals to take advantage and turn Nigeria to Banana Republic. Dividends of that negligence is what we are seeing now. The Federal Government must be seen to be very proactive in every situation.
No security threat to people should be undermined because undermining the seurity and threat to people is tantamount to total collapse.
“When the morale of the people saddled with keeping the security and property of the people is dampened, there is no way we can get desired results and this is the situation of things.”
The Amotekun Commander added, “We have to call a spade a spade. Those who claim to love our President are his enemies because they fail to do the needful.
The President cannot be everywhere; that is why he has SAs, advisers, and others around him and they should not be too afraid of telling Mr President the situation of things as it is.
When the people who are supposed to be the ear, nose, eyes and body of Mr President in every situation are compromising because of political gain, what we are experiencing and continue to experience will not be palatable.”
He said when the signal of arms proliferation was being condemned by Nigerians, he expected the President to act strictly on it.
“These Fulanis came from almost about 30 countries all over the world. In Africa alone, they are almost in about 28 countries. Some of the Fulanis that have been living with us for about 100 years are responsible but those who migrate from Mali, Kenya, Ghana, Niger Republic and all other African countries are not from Nigeria and many of them are the ones perpetrating this evil,” he alleged.
He, however, accused Buhari of not dealing decisively with the problem.
“That’s why Nigerians should take their destinies in their own hands. The situation we find ourselves now calls for serious reflection. Nigerians must understand that they have responsibilities and they must not fold their arms or keep quiet. When we see or notice dangerous things or persons around us, we should talk,” Amitolu advised.
“People play nonchalant attitude to information dissemination. People should understand that giving information at the appropriate time will assist us to tame these criminals. When criminals gain ground and understand the security architecture of your area, they strike. The Yoruba adage will say, if not for an insider, there is no way an outsider will know where a blind man was buried,” he opined.
On his reaction to reports that President Buhari was indulging some criminals in the Fulani tribe, Amitolu said, “This is the missing gap. For you (Buhari) to say you are protecting your own people, you are exposing Nigerians to danger. And if there is any problem in Nigeria, the whole of Africa will be engulfed in crisis.
Protecting Nigeria is just a way of protecting the whole of Africa. If there is any problem in Nigeria, the whole of Africa will shake. And we don’t need to deceive ourselves, any Nigerian president is automatically an African leader whether pronounced or not.
“So, Africa relies much more on Nigeria; Nigeria is like a platform where African nations stand. So, if there is any infringement on Nigeria, it will affect the whole of the African nations. We must see our crisis beyond Nigeria. We must not allow Fulanis to migrate to our country, it’s dangerous and uncalled for.”
