The Ebonyi Government on Wednesday in Abakaliki began a one-week training for the 190 members of the Ebonyi Neighborhood Watch Group (ENWG), under the first batch of the training programme.
Dr Kenneth Ugbala, Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Internal Security to Gov. Dave Umahi, who declared open the training, said that the initiative was to enhance the capacity of the members.
He charged the participants to take the training seriously, explaining that their duty was to assist the police and other law enforcement agencies to curb criminal activities through prompt information and intelligence gathering.
He warned members of the group against indulging in illegal activities, including carrying of arms and jungle justice against suspected criminals.
“You are not permitted by law to carry arms or execute jungle justice on arrested criminal suspects.
“Your duty is to assist the police in areas of information and intelligence gathering on criminal activities that will lead to the arrest of criminals as well as curtail their operations in the state.
“Government will not hesitate to discipline any member of the group that goes outside of the mandate provided by the law establishing the Ebonyi Neighborhood Watch Group, ” Ugbala said.
Mr Titus Sumba-Lamorde, the Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi Command, urged the participants to use the platform to assist the police in the fight against crime.
The commissioner who was represented by Mr Felix Gani, Deputy Commissioner of Police, charged the trainees to shun acts that could derail the good intentions of the government.
He commended the state government for its unwavering support to the police in maintaining peace, security, law and order in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 190 participants who where the first batch of trainees were drawn from the 13 local government areas of the state.