Imagine a group of security personnel made up of people who live in our neighborhood or have a comprehensive understanding of its’ security challenges getting maximally equipped, trained and charged with curbing any form of insecurity plaguing our communities.

This is the base of what the newly launched ‘Amotekun’ would revolve around. Coming after months of deliberations and logistics, the Amotekun which is a project kickstarted by the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria, is focused on rooting out insecurity for the six states involved (Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, and Lagos) at the community level.

Six months ago, the six governors of South West Nigeria states; Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo met in Ibadan and agreed to set up a regional collaborative security agency. Today, we launched Àmọ̀tẹ́kùn, The Western Nigeria Security Network. pic.twitter.com/oke47PS9eP

— Seyi Makinde (@seyiamakinde) January 9, 2020

First of all, it has to be said that this is not only good thinking on the part of these governors but active steps taken from them considering how fruitless governor forums, organized to collectively tackle issues peculiar to each member state, have been known to be. Tackling insecurity from the ground up would greatly influence the rising level of insecurity battling the country and what better way to do that than by empowering people who are fully aware of its working but can barely do anything about it other than to report to the police, who aren’t as equipped themselves.

Maximum security is integral to the running of a state and ensuring that other social projects are able to exist and properly serve the people whom they are for and while the governors of these states seem to understand that, it doesn’t quite seem like other governors do.

ÀMỌ̀TẸ́KÙN: Official Logo pic.twitter.com/zG2q89Yss2

— DAWN Commission (@DAWNCommission) January 7, 2020

Geo-political unions like Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) as well as Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross-Rivers, Edo and Delta States (BRACED) are being formed between governors who share interconnected social issues in a bid to tackle it together, and while it is exciting that they exist, it doesn’t seem enough if nothing is heard of what they are doing- if they are doing anything at all.

For a state like Lagos, whose overpopulation puts it at risk of high crime and insecurity levels, this initiative would join forces with active law enforcement agencies to do more work in regards to the state’s security needs.

We would continue to look out and see if other governors would catch this flame and ignite it in their states.

Nelson C.J

Nelson C.J is a culture writer with works in The New York Times, Xtra Magazine, OkayAfrica, Black Youth Project, AfroPunk, and a few other spaces. You can find him saving dog pictures on Twitter.