Catholic bishops in the South-West zone on Tuesday endorsed the Western Nigeria Security Network otherwise called Amotekun, describing the security challenges in the country as embarrassing.

The Catholic Bishops conference in the zone, comprising Ibadan archdiocese, Ilorin, Ondo, Ekiti, Oyo and Osun dioceses, during a post conference press briefing addressed by the Archbishop of Ibadan diocese, Most Rev. Gabriel Abegunrin, dismissed the claim by some groups that Amotekun was targeted at the herdsmen.

Among those who were present at the briefing are the Archbishop Emeritus of Ibadan, Alaba Job; Bishop of Ekiti diocese, Most Rev. Felix Ajakaye; Bishop of Oyo diocese, Most Rev. Emmanuel Badejo; Bishop of Osogbo diocese, Bishop John Oyejola, and Bishop of Ilorin diocese, Bishop Paul Olawoore.

The conference said Amotekun was positioned to take care of people who live in the South-West, including the herdsmen, Hausa, Ibo, Yoruba and other nationalities.

Arising from the conference, Abegunrin said Nigeria is in dire security straits noting that only a few could sleep with two eyes closed.

Describing the establishment of Amotekun as right response to the cries of the people, the cleric commended the South-West governors for the timely intervention saying,

“It is not true that it is targeted against the Fulani herdsmen. If you listen to what they said; that is not true at all. 

“Amotekun is to take care of the people of South-West region; we are not speaking for the Yoruba or Hausa or Fulani. Anybody leaving in the South-West is protected; they are not excluding anybody at all.”

Corroborating the statement of the Christians Association of Nigeria that Christians in the country are the most persecuted, the clerics called for an urgent intervention against segregation.

“People have been saying that there is a lot of laxity on the part of the Federal Government and it is not totally false. There is a bit of laxity in the Federal Government’s approach to curbing insecurity. 

“Well, it is normal that if a government is not performing and it is not ready to change, such a government should leave to give room for those who can do the job because government is not a family inheritance. We cannot treat the whole country as our backyard or as a personal estate,” he said.