Damilola Oyedele in Abuja
The Senate wednesday set machinery in motion which could lead to the disbandment of the Kogi State Vigilante Service Group on the grounds that the outfit replicates the duties of the police, including bearing arms
It therefore directed its Committees on National Intelligence and Security and Judiciary to meet with the National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Mohammed Monguno (rtd), and the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami, with a view to disbanding what it described as an unconstitutional body.
The resolution followed a point of order raised by Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi APC) who accused the Governor of Kogi, Mr. Yayaha Bello, of attempting to introduce state police through the back door.
He noted that the group was empowered by the state government to carry Dane guns, hunter guns and other light weapons.
The group, Melaye said, was established by a law of the state government and listed the responsibilities of the outfit.
These include detection and prevention of crime, apprehension of criminals, protection of lives and property, to assist security agencies in the discharge of their duties, protection of government installations, among others.
“This is how Boko Haram started,†Melaye warned, adding that the governor was equipping militia groups to wreak havoc on the people of the state.
“This law is in conflict with Section 214 of’ the constitution of Nigeria. It is a fact that state can make laws through the state House of Assembly. But the law they make must not be in conflict with the constitution,†he said.
Melaye said the development juxtaposes the recent discovery of arms allegedly linked to the Kogi State Governor.
The Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio lamented that Kogi state is in the news again, adding that the activities of the governor call into question the readiness of youths to run the affairs of Nigeria.
“Having been a governor before, we knew the effect of arming militia or arming youths because even after leaving office, it will be difficult to retrieve those weapons,†Akpabio said.
Senator Emmanuel Bwacha (Taraba PDP) warned that if the practices which encourage arms proliferation are not quickly checked, Nigeria would have a fresh crises of insecurity.
He urged that all attention should be geared towards addressing insecurity which continues to spread across the country.
“People are discouraged, people appear not to have confidence in our security operatives. Why? Because there are certain issues on ground that need to be addressed. This is no longer business as usual, as representatives, we must be seen to showing concern. The matter is beyond boundary of religion and ethnicity,†Bwacha said.
In his contribution, Senator Magnus Abe (Rivers APC) said the situation is not in Kogi alone, as a similar law was recently passed in Rivers State, establishing Neighborhood Watch, with a right to bear arms.
“Let us engage these states, and ask what they want to achieve in the context of the constitution, which has not provided for state police,†Abe said.
Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, however said the matter of Rivers and other states with vigilante cannot be considered alongsides Kogi, as details of their establishing laws are not before the Senate.
He further stated that the establishment of different vigilante groups across states was a reaction to actual situation where there are inadequate policemen to secure the people.
“That is why we have brought soldiers to assist, and they are now overstretched. We keep saying that the current structure on ground cannot protect the people,†Ekweremadu explained and reiterated his call for state police.
He therefore urged that the vigilante groups must be regulated.
