Angry residents of Adiyan community applauded, when two members of the vigilante service, Ismaila Jimoh and Hassan Olatunde, were arrested by the police about a month ago, in connection with the alleged murder of a 28-year-old businessman, Tayo Olatunbosun.
According to the residents, the two vigilantes had apprehended Olatunbosun for allegedly stealing a hair dryer. They took him to Agbado Police Station after allegedly beating him with charms. Although he was later released on bail at the police station, Olatunbosun died the following day.
Trouble however started for the vigilantes when the youths in the community heard of Olatunbosun’s death. Enraged by the circumstances surrounding his demise, they protested and vandalised the Vigilante Service of Ogun State (VSO) office. According to an insider, the youths were pained by the death of the victim, who they said was not a thief as alleged, but a peace loving resident who was merely returning from a party when he was arrested. They therefore called on the state government to curtail what they described as the excesses of the vigilante group.
The Nation investigation shows that notwithstanding occasional cases of misuse of power, vigilante services have come to be appreciated in most states where they have been either given official recognition or are in the process of being incorporated as part of official security network.
In Anambra State, for example, we gathered that their activities are recognised as they now work hand in hand with the police. The Anambra Vigilante Services (AVS) is in all the 177 communities in the state with operational vehicles donated to them by the state government. They have cordial relationship with the state police command and report to the Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) in their zones.
The official recognition notwithstanding, the residents in the state have also complained of their bullying method of operation. Some residents alleged that AVS operatives have not only become tools in settlement of quarrels between families, but go to the extent of detaining people in their different cells in the state.
Birds of a feather
Like the former governor of the State, Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju, said, “It takes a thief to catch a thief,” some of the vigilante men are also seen as people with questionable character in some of the communities where they operate.
The AVS is under a committee headed by a retired Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba. According to the law establishing AVS, the committee is assigned to guide the operation of the committees.
The services have three coordinators in Anambra North, Anambra South and Anambra Central senatorial zones, with the Special Adviser on Security to the state governor, Chief Chikodi Anarah, as the overall overseer.
Speaking with The Nation in Awka, the former Deputy Governor, Chief Emeka Sibeudu, who is the Anambra South Coordinator, believes that AVS had done well in the state. But he said in every set up like this, there are bound to be challenges, which, according to him, has to do with funding.
Another handicap of the vigilantes in the state, according to Sibeudu, is arresting suspects and handing them over to the police because, in the long run, the persons might be released to come back and they would start terrorising the people because of the faulty prosecution system.
One other limitation, he said, is the fact that they were not allowed to operate outside their jurisdiction, adding that the measures put in place by the state government had worked wonders in the state through vigilantes.
Sibeudu added that the group meets at least twice a month, while the state government pays the operatives stipends for sustenance, with the help of Anambra State Association of Town Unions (ASATU).
According to him, “Government alone cannot fund vigilance and that is where we need corporate bodies and individual helps.”
For Anarah, the AVS had been a complementary force to the police command in the state.
He told The Nation that he rates them highly in Anambra State because, according to him, the groups in the communities had been wonderful. The reason, he said, Anambra is regarded as the safest state in the country.
Anarah said they do not work in isolation; rather they liaise with the DPOs in the state to ensure law and order.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Princess Nkeiruka Nwode, said the command had not been having any problems with the vigilante group, adding that their relationship had been cordial.
She, however, debunked claims that they had created their cells where suspects or perceived enemies are being detained, adding that they work closely with the DPOs in the state.
A woman, who pleaded anonymity, however told The Nation that some members of the vigilante groups in the state behave like animals, adding that they now delve into family quarrels and charge fees.
She said in her community (name withheld), they do things with impunity, creating an environment of demigods and untouchables.
In Umueri in Anambra East Local Government Area, our source said some of the vigilantes hide under such name to commit all manner of atrocities in the state.
Pleading not to be named for fear of persecution, he alleged that most of the vigilante men in Anambra had been in one crime or the other, while most of them take all sorts of hard drugs with reckless abandon.
In Abia State, the story is also that of praise and anger. It would be recalled that it was the repeated case of violent activities of hoodlums in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State, which many said could not be curtailed by the regular police that gave rise to the formation of the dreaded “Bakassi Boys” and later Abia State Vigilante Services (AVS) in the state.
Our investigation shows that the “Bakassi Boys” was made up mainly of traders and shoe makers of Ariaria International Market who rose to the occasion to curb the activities of the hoodlums who at the time operated boldly both day and night.
The rise of the hoodlums
By mid-1998, the matter had deteriorated so much that various mafia-like groups and armed robbery groups sprang up, freely robbing both residents and visitors of cash and other valuables. Members of such groups would walk unchallenged into examination halls with guns, demanding cash, jewelleries and other valuables from supervisors and students.
Armed robbers would write to a particular street or building to keep a given amount of cash on a date they were to visit and equally warn that they would regret any act of disobedience. The markets were not spared.
The commercial city was under such a siege then as businesses started going down with several amounts of money going into the hands of hoodlums. All these gave rise to the formation of the vigilante group called “Bakassi Boys.” Recalling what happened at the early days of the group; eyewitnesses told The Nation that the group rose to the occasion as its members bravely fought crime and its perpetrators headlong in Aba and other parts of Abia State, though through extra-judicial means.
A respondent said the successes recorded by this group in crime fighting at that time endeared them to the hearts of many Aba and Abia residents and visitors alike that they were respected more than the conventional security apparatus in the state.
But at the peak of its successes, some members of the group became demi-gods, issuing out instant jungle justice that many say were both brutish, bloody and sometimes unjust. So, by 2010, the powers of the group had whittled down, allegedly by the state, leading to another era of extreme insecurity where hoodlums, like the dreaded Osisikankwu group, operated. It would be recalled that the group, whose name still evokes a feeling of insecurity and fear amongst residents of Aba and environs, abducted, among others, some journalists coming back from Uyo and over 15 school children in their school bus.
The public outrage that trailed such brazen criminal activities gave rise to the establishment of 144 Battalion Command off Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway, in Ukwa West Local Government Area and the 14 Brigade, Ohafia, respectively.
The campaign by the then Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun (retd), around 2002 gave rise to various vigilante groups across the country with Abia State having a fair share of its own.
Today, unconfirmed report said Abia State has about five different vigilante groups, including the state-recognised AVS.
Augustine Okezie, the Commander of Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN), Osisioma Local Government Area of the state, told The Nation that their role is to complement the activities of the police, army and other sister agencies in nipping crime in the bud since 2012 when they became operational in the state.
According to Okezie, their work has been challenging, owing to the fact that they were not being paid and lack of mobility or operational vehicle unlike their counterparts in the northern part of the country.
He said their work is mainly based on getting and analysing information which they would subsequently transmit to either the army or police, depending on the nature of the offence.
For the love of humanity
He lamented the risk which they faced in their various communities as they weren’t armed to protect themselves.
The Osisioma VGN leader, who said they have been attending various seminars and trainings with their own money, however, appealed to the National Assembly and the executive arm of government to hasten the process of formalising their establishment to enable them work and promote safety of lives and properties in the rural areas.
In Borno State, vigilantes popularly called the Civilian Joint Task Force have played a great role in combating crime in different communities, especially in areas targeted by the Boko Haram insurgents. A youth vigilante group in Lahou village actually killed 17 persons alleged to be members of the terrorist group. At that point, Agagu Bitrus, the leader of the group disclosed that the suspected members of the sect attacked the village but they were overpowered. Eight other insurgents were killed by members of a local vigilante in Kwarangilam village, situated about 15 kilometres to Chibok when they attacked the village. Spokesman of the vigilantes in Borno State, Muhammed Gava, said one of the ambushing insurgents was also arrested by the vigilantes and handed over to security operatives. “The attackers retreated when they realised that it will not be an easy ride for them,” he said.
For the vigilantes in this area, there are also a number of bad days. One of such was when some soldiers killed five vigilante youths in Maiduguri while they tried to check a lorry carrying arms to the barracks.
In Ondo State, the Commandant, Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN), Pastor Gideon Akinwumi, a United States trained security expert, ‘highlighted the various activities and challenges of the organisation in the state.
According to him, men of the Vigilante group, numbering 2,000 across the 18 local government areas of the state, are assisting other security agencies, especially the Police, Army and Civil Defence Corps in providing security in the state.
The State Commandant said his men are mostly visible during monthly environmental sanitation for the enforcement of environmental laws, in the state Ministry of Transport to assist in traffic control and in the Ministry of Education to instil discipline on the pupils by apprehending those who are always roaming the streets without going to their respective schools for learning.
He also hinted that vigilante officers are always on patrol with men of the Nigerian Police/Army to check criminal tendencies, particularly robberies.
Akinwumi adds that membership of the organisation is for those above 18 years with no criminal records. “In the past, we arrested student cultists, robbers, especially those stealing motorcycles (Okada) in Igbara-Oke, Ore and many other towns and villages.”
He noted that while the conventional policemen are at their best in the day time, the vigilante men served both day and night without any incentive and motivation but for their love in serving humanity.
The VGN State Commandant, who listed various challenges militating against the organisation in the state said, “We are sacrificing ourselves for this job, we contribute individually to run our office, we have no salaries, we pay for BEDC bill, office accommodation and other facilities.”
The security expert lamented that the VGN is self-sponsored, stressing that the only assistance from the state government was the 18 sitter-bus donated by former Governor Olusegun Mimiko in 2011 which has been grounded. His words: “We want to dialogue with the governor and inform him about our findings and the strategies we want to apply before they put the state in disarray.”
Akinwumi added that his men had been trained on effective vigilance, adding that all unruly acts in schools and other public places would be curtailed if government approves the deployment of vigilante officers to the areas to maintain decorum.
How to curb their excesses
The big question, however, is how can we curb the excesses of the vigilance groups across the country. Yemi Adebiyi Toluwani, a lawyer, believes that their activities must be regulated by the constitution if they must operate as a national body. “Some of them are members of OPC and they form the bulk of security for estates to give protection. Even in the eastern parts of the country or South-South, you find such people helping to protect their communities. Gone are the days when you just have anybody; there are unified groups doing this.”
He goes on to explain that “the excesses of vigilance groups can be curtailed if their activities are well regulated. It is because their activities are not properly regulated that you see them going out of their boundary or taking alcohol on duty. The police can moderate what they do. The community leaders who employ them can also help to regulate and moderate their activities.”
Toluwani states further: “There are procedures but some of them are illiterates or half educated. The good thing is that some estates have rules and regulations that guide their operations. For instance, Dolphin Estate has bye-laws to guide their operations. My advice is that there should be continuous enlightenment and training to improve their conduct and effectiveness.”
Another lawyer, Yemi Omodele, strongly believes that when it comes to security and vigilante, all hands must be on deck. “I believe that we can only get the best with communal effort. Lagos State, for example, has empowered them with vehicles and other gadgets needed to do their work effectively. If other state governments do the same thing, things would get better and the society would be better for it.”
Omodele adds: “They do not have powers to prosecute and once they catch a suspect, they should hand the person over to the police. The bulk of the work, however, lies with the citizen. If we hear or get any information about ongoing crime, we should tell the police and they would apprehend the person. It is not easy to curb crime; the criminals are within the society. They mingle with us. It is therefore important for everyone to be vigilant and alert law enforcement agencies.”
In order to empower vigilante group, Omodele stressed the need for their activities to be backed by legislation. “This is very important; so that they would not go out of their boundary to, for example, carry arms and ammunition. I also believe that the necessary laws should be made to recognise such a body, so that they do not go out of the way. You also have some miscreants who disguise as vigilantes to perform crime; so they also need training from time to time. There should also be an independent body that would recruit them and there must be a minimum level of qualification. Their emolument should also be taken care of in the laws and that would also make them effective.”
Controversy over its relevance
Since vigilante groups first became registered in the country as para-military organisations to protect lives and properties of the citizenry, and since they became popular in some states where they reportedly made great impacts, there has been controversy over the relevance of such organisation, which some dismiss as unnecessary duplication of regular security agencies. There has also been the debate over having a national body that would monitor and regulate the activities of vigilante groups all over the country. Already, promoters of the formalisation of vigilante groups in Nigeria have taken the matter to the National Assembly.
Last year, a bill for an act to establish the Vigilante Group of Nigeria scaled the second reading in the House of Representatives. The bill is seeking that the group will, among others, be charged with the responsibility of providing community services, including security. Sponsored by Abass Tajudeen from Kogi State, it seeks to make the Vigilante Group a creation of law and to provide varying services for communities in the country.
Members are however divided on the bill as some feel it will be a further duplication of the jobs of the police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other security agencies. To buttress their argument, those who are against it opined that rather than create such a group, government should beef up the existing security outfit for optimal performance.
On their part, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai, the Commandant General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr. Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu and other stakeholders however expressed support for the recognition of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) as a security arm of the federal government.
The VGN, they said, has strong presence at the grassroots levels and would complement the efforts of security agencies in securing lives and property.
However, to 46- year old, Nnamdi Gabriel, the disadvantages of the group outweighs the benefits. According to him, “Most times it is difficult to track them when something goes wrong. Last year, I travelled to see my mother in the village and our bus had problems. That night, I got to my neighbourhood after midnight and I was really scared. Then I saw two men and they interrogated me about where, I was coming from and at that point, I thought I was in safe hands.”
Unfortunately for Gabriel, they pounced on him and took everything that he had away. “They also gave me the beating of a lifetime. The following day, my family went around to make enquiries and we later discovered that they were fake vigilante men.”
Even though Jumoke Ibiwunni, a Lagos based business woman has not had any personal experience with vigilante, she is disturbed by the stories from friends and family members. “Maybe, it is because I hardly stay out late in the night but I have heard about so many cases of people who have been beaten and harassed by vigilante men who are drunk or OPC members who have this over bearing attitude.”
On his part, Lanre Olaseni, a banker believes that the role vigilante groups play is very important. “They are very useful and I strongly believe that without them in the different communities where they operate, crime would be so much and many would have had to pay with their lives and properties.”
He adds that: “I have been living in my neighbourhood for about six years and the area has been very safe. I remember that about two years ago, when some of the residents refused to pay the token we were giving to them, they left and life became unbearable because of crime. Some people came together and tried to step into their shoes but they realised it was a tough job. At the end of the day, we had to recall the vigilante team and things got better after that.”
Like Olaseni, Cynthia Akpan opines that vigilantes have helped to bring sanity to some neighbourhoods. “I have lived in different parts of the country and I must say that vigilantes are very useful, they have helped to curb crime and they can do better with better tools, motivation and training.”
So, what happens to the group?
