Given that an already born child cannot be aborted we now need to adopt this technical blueprint for Operation Amotekun

By Ayo Akinfe

[1] First of all, I will remove the word "Operation" from its title once the Nigerian Regional Security Bill 2020 has been passed by the six state houses of assembly. An operation is a one-off event but this is a lasting legacy designed to provide security for our children, grandchildren and generations of yet born Nigerians. Once registered, the outfit will simply be known as Amotekun

[2] By 2025, to become an Amotekun officer, the minimum academic qualification you must have is four O'Levels. This is going to be a professional outfit that engages in community policing and treats members of the public with respect, courtesy and dignity. It will have a strict disciplinary code too that will be exemplary

[3] Amotekun will have a hierarchy structure identical to that of the Nigerian Police Force. If you join as a university graduate, you will be an assistant superintendant

[4] All Amotekun operatives will be trained to provide first aid, antenatal, emergency healthcare and paramedical services. If a woman is giving birth for instance, they will be well qualified to deliver that child

[5] In every local government where Amotekun operates, there will be a weekly meeting with the divisional police officer to share intelligence. If need be, the local military commander will be asked to attend such meetings too

[6] Most of Amotekun's funding will come from private sector contributors. Basically, the plan will be to brand Amotekun as Nigeria's investment police. If for instance Nissan, Hewlett Packard, Apple or Dell want to open a manufacturing facility in Nigeria, Amotekun will provide 24 hour protection, guarding their facilities under a three shift structure

[7] International security companies like G4S, Securitas, Mitie, Vision Security Group and OCS will provide constant training for Amotekun staff. Their uniforms must at least be of the same standard as that of airline staff and the minimum wage will be N50,000

[8] Amotekun will have a dedicated anti-rape team made up of female operatives. As about one third of Amotekun's officials will be women, there will be 24-hour attention for victims of sexual assault. Members of the anti-rape team will carry anti-rape kits on them

[9] There are 133 local governments in southwest Nigeria - Lagos (20), Ogun (20), Osun (30), Oyo (33), Ondo (18) and Ekiti (16). Each of them will have one Amotekun office, where members of the public can drop in to offer intelligence. They will also have emergency numbers and email addresses where people can offer information anonymously

[10] Amotekun will have a 12-man board of directors who shall be the six state governors, the Aare Ona Kakanfo, the chief executive, the controller-general, the head of Afenifere and two appointed females. The chair of the South West Governors Forum will be its chairman. One of the appointed ladies will be a lawyer who serves as its legal adviser and who acts as the secretary of the board of directors, while the other will be the finance director

Tomorrow, we will come up with a code of conduct for staff and officials. The last thing Nigeria needs is for this to become another group of bandits. The memory of Bakassi Boys is still fresh.