IG Orders Police CPs to Disband Militia, Vigilante Groups

• Silent on killer herdsmen
• Vigilantes arrest four herdsmen with guns, other weapons

Paul Obi in Abuja

The Inspector General of Police (IG), Ibrahim Idris, thursday gave a marching order to Commissioners of Police across the country to disband all militia and vigilante groups and ensure peace and security in their commands.

Idris was surprisingly silent on the herdsmen who have been involved in series of killings and battles with farmers in the North-central, part of Adamawa State and some states in the South.

He cautioned Commissioners of Police in the state commands against indiscriminate approval of vigilante groups in their states.
Addressing CPs across the states, Idris said: “I want to commend our men for maintaining security all over the country. Everybody us aware we are entering a tedious and serious period in this country.

“The political issues are coming up to the fore and I believe officers must gear up in our various locations and responsibilities to ensure that we provide law and order all over Nigeria. “As police officers, we know our duties. There is no Commissioner of Police that has served less than 20 years. We know some issues must be considered very seriously because we are coming into a political arena. “Commands should be very conversant about arming of militia men or vigilante. Before a vigilante is established by a government, there must be a bylaw which must be passed by the House of Assembly.

“It is the responsibility of the Commissioners of Police of commands to study the bylaw and see how it conforms with the constitution and other laws of this country but whereby through the connivance of some police officers, you have a command arming militia men under several laws, I think our officers have to brace up and face these challenges.”

He explained that “no country or government in this country has the responsibility to approve some prohibited firearms for any Nigerian under any guise.

“I think it is the responsibility of CPs of commands is to put a close watch to the activities of some of these governments that are arming individuals which is against the laws of this country.

“All of us are aware of these prohibited firearms, you cannot give approval to any individual to own a pistol or AK47 rifle. These are prohibited weapons and only the government has the authority to give approval. I call on CPs of various commands to closely watch the abuse of office at various levels.”

Speaking against the backdrop of his relocation to Benue State and his sudden return to Abuja, the IG stated: “To be frank, like you said, I relocated to Benue for about eight days and when I came back, I left the DIG Operations there. I just came back from Port Harcourt and like it is observed, most of the incidences in Benue State and Nasarawa State have reduced drastically.

“It was just that we had an attack on some travellers in Gboko town where seven Fulani people were murdered. This issue like I said earlier and that is what I mean by communal clashes. These are clashes occurring between two members of the community and like I stated in the states, as Nigerians, we should learn to live together and tolerant of each other. I believe that is an issue that every Nigerian must address.

“Even in Port Harcourt where I addressed the traditional rulers, I think they have a lot to do to bring peace and harmony within their community members. This country needs leaders that can unite the communities not leaders that create divisions. I think it is high time the leaders answered their names and be among those that bring peace and stability all over the country.
“We are investigating the incidence in Gboko where some Fulanis who were in public transport. They were travelling from Taraba to Kogi State, they stopped in Gboko and the youths there, seeing they were Fulanis pounced on them, killed and roasted them.

“We are investigating that issue. Our monitoring team have been dispatched to Benue and arrests have been made in that regard. We are going to investigate the case thoroughly and that is why I said we have to learn to live together because creating enemity, division within the population does not pay anybody,” Idris maintained.

Meanwhile, Vigilante group in Agadagba Obon Town in Ese Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State has arrested four Fulani herdsmen with dangerous weapons.

The arrested men, whose identity were yet to be ascertained, were caught with guns.

The suspects were said to have been handed over to the state police command for interrogation.
When contacted the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Femi Joseph, confirmed the arrest. He stated that the command had begun investigation on the matter.

“They have been handed over to us on and when we interrogated them, they told us that they were farmers t
hat they wanted to board a boat to Edo State but we have begun investigation to ascertain their claim.

“However, there was no report the suspects had killed anybody with the arms they are carrying about,” Joseph said explained.
According to the PPRO, some items recovered from the suspects included guns, cutlasses, daggers and axes.
It was gathered that the development had created fear in the area as many people, especially women have reportedly stopped going to farm for fear of being attacked by the herdsmen.

To this end, a group in the community, under the auspices of Arogbo Ijaw Community Organisation in a statement issued on Thursday by the chairman of the association, Deacon James Ashidi, has appealed to the security agents not to allow the herdsmen enter into their community.

He also urged people of the community to be vigilant and report any suspicious movement of anybody to the security agents.

“We must tell the whole world that following the development (arrest of the herdsmen), there is a growing apprehension in Arogbo Ijaw land, particularly among the women fold who are scared of going into the forest for their daily business for fear of being attacked by the herdsmen who are suspected to be spies in the community.

“We have already set machinery in motion to train our vigilante to work in collaboration with the police to comb every nook and cranny of our forest to fish out these herdsmen to ensure peace and tranquillity.