#AMOTEKUN IS CHEETAH NOT LEOPARD, FACT NOT FICTION !

Following the recent launch of the Western Nigeria Security Network popularly known as “#AMOTEKUN” a security platform launched by the Governors of the western states to tackle the high level of insecurity facing the government of the day, the region aims at using the security force to oversee the area within its reach to curb criminal activities, although there were some forces opposing the idea, but from all indications now the security platform has come to stay.

Another thing that bumps up after the launching is the animal in the emblem of the of the Security network, some says its Leopard, some says its cheetah.

Some says “#Ekun” is tiger in #Yoruba some and therefore “Amotekun” is leopard and that is the animal in the emblem, the truth of the whole matter is in the whole of Africa there is no Tiger in the wild, the implications of this is that our Forefathers might have never come in contact with Tiger nevertheless having a name for it, which means “Ekun” is actually Leopard not Tiger as we all believe.

Growing up as a child with a maternal grandmother that specialized in selling Local herbs, Animal skins among others, I have seen the skin and hide of so many animals including Elephant, I never see that of a #Tiger or that of #Jaguar, nor of Puma among the big #Cat families because these animals does not inhabit this part of the world.

The question is "do we have Cheetah in #Nigeria presently? With available records, NO!

But from past records we use to have them in those days base on available records especially during the pre-colonial era! The animal is currently extinct in Nigeria due to over hunting!

There is a #Proverb among the #Yoruba’s which says " #Asunkun pani bi amotekun" which literarily means “Someone that’s sheds tears while killing like #Cheetah” from this proverb Cheetah is the animal our Forefathers were referring to in this regards because that is the only animal among the Big cat families that has a stripe running down it eyes like tears, no animal has such description or whatsoever, I’m a Veterinarian who did some courses in Wildlife medicine, and spent some times watching #NATGEO wild as well, I can categorically tells you that, the only animal that fit such description is the #Cheetah , therefore “#Amotekun” is cheetah not Leopard, and “Ekun” is Leopard not Tiger, the implications of these development is that we are gradually losing our heritage, and there is need for us to go back to the drawing board and make clarifications, it happens even in science with the help of new diagnostic tools, the taxonomy of animals are changing recently to fill their appropriate classification among different #species  !

AMOTEKUN IS CHEETAH NOT LEOPARD, FACT NOT FICTION