The Pan Yoruba socio- political organisation, Afenifere, has expressed dismay over the double standards being flagrantly displayed by the federal government in its dealings with States in the Southern and Northern parts of the country. In a statement by the organisation’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi, Afenifere stated that although there are many instances to be cited; “we want to restrict ourselves to the most recent one for now because of the serious implications it holds for our security, political and socio-economic well-being”. According to Ajayi, the recent disclosure that Katsina State Government has been granted the permission to equip its Security outfit with sophisticated arms including Ak47 while denying same for other states is unacceptable.
News has it that earlier this month, Katsina State government announced its plan to recruit 3, 000 individuals into its Special Vigilante Corps to combat terrorism in the state. Six hundred have been trained in the usage of sophisticated weapons including Ak47. The states’ security network, Amotekun, was, however, hamstrung by the federal government in two major areas that were critical. “Amotekun is denied the license to be equipped with sophisticated weapons that would be capable of confronting the terrorists and bandits.” The second point mentioned by Ajayi as contrived by the federal government to hamstring Amotekun, is operational.
“Amotekun is robbed of the power to prosecute suspects apprehended; notwithstanding the evidences they marshalled. They must hand the culprits over to the police that is in firm control of the federal government. Speaking further on the alleged double standard of the federal government, Afenifere spokesman recalled that it took a lot of pressures mounted by the people before bandits, mostly of northern extraction, were declared as Terrorists whereas the government wasted no time in using the strong arm against groups in the South who are agitating for self determination.