An Evaluation of the Western Nigeria Security Network (Amotekun): Federalism, Security, Governance and Operational Paradoxes

The keystone of the state legitimacy is security but the centralized policing structure in Nigeria has failed to respond to the current security challenges. In this paper, the Western Nigeria Security Network (Amotekun), as a regional security innovation in the federal system of Nigeria, is critically analyzed. Using the provisions of the constitution, empirical evidence, and academic arguments, the paper questions the structural inadequacy of centralized policing, the creation of Amotekun as a sub-national countermeasure, and the operational contradictions, that underlie its ineffectiveness. The study gives an estimation of the effectiveness of Amotekun in reducing rural insecurity, highway kidnappings, and farmer-herder conflicts using a mixed-method approach. Results have shown that, although Amotekun is a significant milestone in decentralized security administration, the scope of its operations is limited by the legal gray area, shortage of resources, and inter-agency tension. The research paper concludes with a proposal that legislative and fiscal changes should be put in place to institutionalize regional policing as an option to the Nigerian national security framework.