Southwest Governors on Thursday said they agreed with the Federal Government on developing a legal framework for its security outfit, Operation Amotekun.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had held a meeting with Southwest governors in Abuja to find ways of resolving the controversies the setting up of Amotekun had generated.
Chairman, Southwest Governors’ Forum, Rotimi Akeredolu, who spoke with newsmen at the end of the meeting in Abuja said the two sides had fruitful deliberation and had agreed on a legal framework for Amotekun.
“We held a very fruitful discussion, the meeting was presided over by the Vice President, we have rubbed minds and all of us have agreed on the way forward, most important one is that we have agreed to have a legal framework backing Amotekun and this legal framework is going to be one all of us will look at and ensure that it goes without any hindrance,” Akeredolu said.
He said the establishment of Amotekun had not been put on hold but would work in the form of community policing which the Federal Government had been championing.
“Amotekun is there, you know the federal government is tightening community policing; in essence really, it is about community policing; so, we are going to work together and see the community policing and Amotekun work in a way,” he said.
When asked why consultations were not made before the establishment of Amotekun, Akeredolu disagreed, saying there were consultations.
“We held discussion with the IGP then, what he has developed is what has led to this, not that there were no consultations. We just felt that with all these noises outside, it is better for us to sit down and you remember immediately when the noise started, I said we are going to explore the political solution.
“We have looked at the solution to it now, legal solution and political, all of us will do it. At no time did government wants to stop Amotekun,” he said