Alhaji Ridwan Husein was driven into securing his neighbourhood after armed robbers killed a new baby in the presence of its parents. Tunde Busari reports.
The name ‘Ya-salam’ resonates round the length and breadth of Osun State, especially where security issues are discussed. It is a name that particularly evokes fear in the minds of criminal elements that make a living from making life a hell on earth for innocent citizens.
But Alhaji Ridwan Husein (aka ‘Ya-salam’), would rather go philosophical in explaining the real reason he is seen as an albatross to the men of the underworld.
He said, “It is a matter of light and darkness. You will agree with me that light and darkness are not friends. So it is in my relationship with those who choose to work in darkness and throw sorrow into the houses of innocent citizens.
“My promise to God is that I will always do my best to expose those criminals to law enforcement agents. So, if it is because of this reason I am feared as you said, I think it is a compliment I must be proud of. In fact, it means I am doing well. If at my age (65), I am still going out in the midnight on patrol, I think the compliment is more appreciated.”
Shedding light on how he got into the business of vigilance and security, he said it was in 1990. According to him, “I will carry the memory to my grave because it is too difficult to forget. It happened that some armed robbers came to the house at Ojaja area in Ile-Ife, Osun State and asked the parents of a new born baby to bring out the money they made at the naming ceremony held the previous day. When the parents pleaded that they had used the money to settle some expenses, one of the robbers just snatched the baby and killed him instantly!
“I was shocked and it was that incident that made me to challenge myself that I would rather die than allow this kind of thing to continue to happen to innocent people,” he said in a mood underscoring the psychological trauma he endured on the fateful night.
Serving the weak
After this incident a vigilance group was raised and in no time Ya-salam became the undisputed leader. The determination to secure the neigbourhood was too strong in him.
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade got to hear of his valour and this earned him the trust to sit in the gathering of eminent personalities that regularly pay homage to the monarch in his palace.
Having realized that his group could not operate as an autonomous entity without the cooperation of the Nigeria Police which has the statutory obligation to enforce law and order, Ya-salam sought and found a shelter under the umbrella of the Osun State Police Command.
Interestingly, the relationship has meant one thing: a secured Osun State. The successive Commissioners of Police from the current Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Suleman Fakai to Kalafite Adeyemi, have found Ya-salam worthy of partnering with.
“Once it is clear that we cannot operate as an independent organisation, we ensured that our operations are supervised by the police. This is clear in our name: Osun State Police Command Harmonised Vigilante. The police train us from time to time and we also hold our state meeting at the Command Headquarters in Osogbo where we have the office of the CP (Commissioner of Police).
“So, one can say that we are subordinate to the police to achieve the same result. Because my members are grassroots people, they constantly feed the police with situation report in their various communities. Crime prevention is much better than combating crime. That is the role we play,” he said.
The group has got the endorsement of the police and the two have jointly worked to curb the level of crime in the state. With ordinary light weapon in their possession, the vigilance members have given a good account of their bravery by dislodging the robbers and chasing them away from the town. Despite the fact that one of them paid the supreme price during the operation, others remained undeterred winning rave accolade of the Ooni of Ife as well as the then governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola among other personalities in the state.
“In fact, the then CP, Mr John Moronike commended us and gave us more assurance of his Command’s support. We became closer and always discussed security matters. Whenever I observe anything, especially when I found anything wrong with any of his DPOs I quickly inform him because he gave me a free access to him in his office and at home.
“Even before the bank robbery operation in Ile-Ife and Ilesa, in 2005 my group entered the Federal Polytechnic in Ede and ended the reign of cultists there.”
Asked if he is really fulfilled? The ebony black man gazed at the ceiling before replying saying ‘Alhamdulilahi’ (Glory be to God). He admitted that he would be an ingrate undeserving of more divine favour if he played down the role God has played in the rising profile of his group.
Ya-salam said in November 2010, his group was labeled as a tool in the hands of the former government. This almost led to the death of its activities. However, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the Governor, who is desirous of a peaceful state, turned a deaf ear to the claim and identified with the group with a strong promise of further commitment.
Today, the group has moved from a being a ragtag vigilance group to a uniform-wearing outfit with full complement of the state-of the art operational tools that can withstand any security challenge.
These equipments provided by Governor Aregbesola have undoubtedly helped their operation and also boosted their confidence in such a way that, according to Ya-salam, they are battle ready for any challenge. That is why, following regular stealing of government drugs, not less than 50 of them are already in the Government House keeping an eagle eye on government property in addition to regular security apparatus.
“I am not a politician and he does not even encourage it. He does not invite us to political functions. So, any of my members who wants to use the group to play politics is sent away. That is the rule. All the governor asked me to do is to complement the police. In short, what he has done in terms of fortifying us was never done before. He encourages local government councils to also assist us at their levels. There are three hospitals in the state assigned to treat our members in case of emergency. No governor has ever done this,” he said.
Over the years, different groups and institutions have shown appreciation to Ya-salam and his group in return for their sincerity of purpose. His living room is generously decorated with different shields and other memorabilia, announcing his status to a first time guest.
“I like the awards but it is not the ultimate. Security of the society is the ultimate. This is my commitment and my little contribution to the society. If some armed robbers could kill a baby just like that I don’t see any reason I should not give security of the people what it takes. But we are not policemen, we don’t carry gun. We only augment police work,” he said.
