South West lawmakers reject recruiting Miyetti Allah members into Amotekun

Lawmakers in the Houses of Assembly of the six south west states have in consensus rejected the request by leaders of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) to recruit its members into Amotekun, a security structure established by the southwest governors.

Some state Assemblies though allowed the participation of MACBAN in the stakeholders public hearing, none of the states accepted the incorporation of MACBAN in the Amotekun operations.

Ekiti State House of Assembly was the first to pass the Amotekun bill. Ondo and other states have got to advanced stage of legislation on Amotekun.

However, it was gathered that the Speakers of the six State Assemblies could not reach a consensus at the meeting of Speakers in Ibadan on Thursday, which was convened to harmonise the Amotekun bill across the various states.

It was gathered Miyetti Allah leaders, at the public hearing of the Oyo State House of Assembly, declared support for the establishment of Amotekun but demanded that it members should be recruited to participate in Amotekun operations.

MACBAN former chairman in Oyo State, Yaqub Bello, at the public hearing of the State House of Assembly, had remarked that only haters of truth would oppose the Amotekun; and therefore, requested that their members should be absolved into the emerging security outfit for the interest of the cattle rearers who understand the terrain in the state.

“Some of us have been in Oyo State for over 40 years, cohabiting with the natives, married Yoruba women and have children.

“So, our request is to include Miyetti Allah as members of Operation Amotekun to enhance the job of the outfit, since we know the terrain of where we rear our cattle.

“Having Fulani among the outfit will make it easier for Amotekun men to distinguish between genuine herdsmen and the criminals while on patrol.

“A Fulani man can also serve as an interpreter while interrogating any suspected herdsman,” Bello had said.

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Report indicated that a member of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Olayanju Qozeem, declared that the request was not considered, and totally unacceptable.

It was added that chairman of the House Committee on Information in Ekiti State House of Assembly, Yemisi Ayokunle, also stated that the State Assembly found no place for the request.

“We are not thinking in that line at all. There is a bill and it did not include Miyetti Allah or whoever,” Ayokunle had said.

Ayokunle was said to have insisted that Amotekun is meant for south west citizens and would remain so following content of the bill passed by the legislature.

“Wherever the Miyetti Allah is coming from, its tribe is not included there, so we are not thinking in this line at all.

“We have done all it takes, we have passed it into law and there is no Miyetti Allah in our bill which has been passed into law.

“It is now for the governor to sign it into law. We have not heard and we are not interested in listening to that or reacting to that. It is not our business at all. Anybody is entitled to say anything.

“There is freedom of speech, probably that is what they are exercising but that is not included in the bill,” Ayokunle was cited to have said.

The lawmaker maintained that for anybody to be a member of Amotekun, “He must be a native of that place who knows the nooks and crannies of that area.”

Report further indicated that there was no such request from MACBAN in  Osun State, thus, the State House of Assembly had no reason to deliberate on it. It was added that the Amotekun bill is silent on including non-indigenes, in Osun State.

The Miyetti Allah issue is completely non-existent in the Lagos State House of Assembly legislation.