Amidst growing insecurity and widespread cases of kidnapping in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, residents have resorted to self-help by forming vigilante groups across the six area councils to ward off armed bandits and kidnappers.
Our investigations in satellite towns and in more than 30 communities located mostly in the outskirts of the metropolis, showed that vigilante groups are now the cardinal means of protecting lives and property of residents, who claimed official security agencies have become grossly inadequate in providing these services.
Residents also said their decision to rely on the services of private security outfits arose from the repeated stringent calls by the leadership of official security agencies in the country and even state governors for citizens to rise up collectively against armed bandits and gun-trotting bandits and kidnappers ravaging their communities, kill, physically assault, rape their women, loot and destroy their properties at will.
Magashi, Masari, others on ‘self-help’
Minister of Defence Major-General Bashir Magashi (rtd), Katsina state Governor Aminu Bello Masari, Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group among others, had in recent time urged individuals and communities to defend themselves against the menace of banditry and kidnapping.
Already, various regions have constituted regional security outfits such as Amotekun and Ebube Agu by the South-west and South-east governors, respectively.
FCT residents heed call
Lamenting the incessant killings and cattle rustling in Abaji, kidnappings in Kuje, Gwagwalada, AMAC and Bwari area councils, residents said they were tired of waiting for the police and other security agencies.
The residents said they have taken the bull by the horns by confronting these miscreants upsetting the peace and order of their respective communities.
Speaking to Blueprint, Stumaje of Tungan –Maje in Gwagwalada Area Council, Alhaji Salihu Isiaku Na’annabi, said: “At some point, it became obvious that our security agencies were almost overwhelmed by the activities of insurgents in some parts of the country and therefore were unable to pay adequate attention to and contain miscreants who were invading our communities.
“It is, therefore, understandable that the residents of these communities, who were victims and are still at the receiving end of the vicious acts of miscreants, could no longer fold their hands and wait for the overworked security agencies to come to their rescue. We formed vigilante groups across our communities to safeguard our lives and protect our property and halt the frequent rape of our wives and daughters by criminal elements,” the monarch said through the Palace Secretary, Abdulwaheed Salihu.
Similarly, another monarch and Etsu Giri Kpasere, Chief Dalatu Egari said the communities were prone to attacks by bandits and other criminal elements, hence their decision to opt for whatever legal means to defend themselves against them.
“No, we can’t continue to allow these criminal elements to upset our peace. So, vigilantes seem a good complementary option to assist state security agencies to curb the menace of bandits and kidnappers,” he said through his eldest son, Isah Dalatu Egari.
Corroborating this position, the Odumi of Omoko, Mallam Umar Zozi, whose community is situated along Kwali-Abaji road, said they decided to form vigilante groups because members of the local security outfits know the terrain and can readily confront and contain the bandits and kidnappers’ onslaughts.
Killings and kidnappings in Abuja
In the last couple of months, a former Army Provost Marshal and Director, Veteran Affairs of the Nigerian Army, Major-General Husseini Ahmed, was killed by an armed gang along Lokoja-Abuja Road.
Prior to that time, a former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh was shot dead following an attack on his vehicle along the Abuja-Keffi road while returning from his farm in Nasarawa state.
Similarly, unknown gunmen killed two naval officers along the Abuja-Lokoja highway, barely two months after the killing of a top army officer, GSM Abubakar, by suspected bandits along the same road.
Alleged bandits also invaded herders’ settlement and killed a 30-year-old man, Abdulmumin Jagaba, near Sabon-Gari village in Kwali Area Council.
Besides, two herdsmen were killed at Paiko community in Gwagwalada, Kwankashe area in Madalla, another person killed while 12 others, mostly males, were abducted by gunmen.
Also, at Jikwoyi/Kurudu area of Abuja satellite town, unknown gunmen killed a pastor, identified as Emeka Evans, inside his church during a vigil.
Kidnappings
Cases of kidnappings in the FCT have mostly occurred at the outskirts of the metropolis except few instances like the kidnapping of Channels Television reporter, Friday Okeregbe and a Punch correspondent, Okechukwu Nnodim, at different times.
However, Pegi, Dafara, Gaube, Kiyi, all in Kuje; Mpape, Nuelege, along the Airport road, villages around Bassa near the Nigerian Air Force facility few kilometres away from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, all in AMAC, seem to be the haven of kidnappers who have in the last one year abducted for ransom no fewer than 25 persons. Currently, a mother and her two teenage daughters abducted penultimate Sunday in Pegi are still in the kidnappers’ den as at the time of this report.
We learnt that abduction for ransom is a regular occurrence in Mpape as people are said to be abducted and the family compelled to pay as paltry as N100, 000, sometimes.
A resident, Ishaku Yamusa, said: “We live in fear because of the activities of kidnappers who abduct and demand even N100, 000 before the release of their captors. Sadly, these abductions are hardly reported by the media.”
Another resident in Yaba, Abaji, a farming community which shares border with Niger state, Moses, disclosed that there have been cases of cattle rustling and kidnappings, none of which, according to him, found a space in the media.
“So forming vigilante groups to checkmate the activities of these vagrant criminals required little persuasion of residents who cherished their safety and peace,” he said.
Communities visited
In course of our investigation, we visited Kubwa, Lugbe (the side where VON is located), Aco, Gwagwalada, Bwari, all satellite towns and more than 30 communities, including Yaba in Abaji, Omoko, Ohonu. All the villages along the Airport road, including Ido and surrounding villages opposite the University of Abuja, Kiyi near the Ghana-Nigeria International School, Kuje, Chukun along Kuje – Gwagwalada road. Dafara, Gaube, Tunga Maje, Anagada, and surrounding settlements along Zuba-Gwagwalada road, Nyanya villages, Karu, Jikwoyi Phases 1- 5, Dakwa and five villages that constitute Garam along Bwari- Kaduna road, as well as villages after the Apo Spare Parts Market.
‘Why we armed vigilante groups’
“Without arming the vigilantes you make them sitting ducks for kidnappers and bandits who are usually heavily armed to slaughter at will. So, it is not about the question of legality but of expediency and the safety of the lives and property of our people,” said the Stumaje of Tungan-Maje.
The monarch said, in collaboration with the special police taskforce approved by the Zuba Divisional Police command, the vigilante groups in Tunga-Maje have drastically reduced incidences of kidnappings and banditry in recent times.
In Jikwoyi, Bassa, Anagada, Dakwa, Garam, Abuja @ 30, Pegi, Giri Kpasere, Dutse Alhaji and many others, communities armed vigilante groups with modern and dane guns, machetes, arrows, catapults, and charms, while few buoyant ones even purchase ‘patrol cars’ for their use.
Also, residents make monthly contributions ranging from N500 to N2000 per house to pay for the services of the vigilante groups. They are also supported by goodwill from individuals and certain organisations within their localities.
It’s dangerous –Ex-police chief
However, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, Wilson Inalegu, while speaking on an AIT programme, decried the development.
He said arming non-state actors with guns is dangerous to the communities and in fact represents a serious security threat to the country.
“Yes, communities are very concerned about the growing activities of bandits and kidnappers that have traumatized the citizens. But arming vigilante groups to complement the efforts of security agencies is dangerous because it may be difficult to regulate the use of arms by the vigilantes, especially when they are not carrying legitimate functions”, he said.
“We are told that the federal government spent billions of naira in training police recruits and cadet officers. If indeed this huge is deployed in the training of officers, why has it not reflected in their performance? Queried a serving police officer in the Central Business District, who does not want to be named.
Police react
Commenting on the development in an interview with Blueprint, spokesman of the FCT Police Command, DSP Adeh Josephine said: “Let me start by noting that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is safe and secure. The assertion that there is growing insecurity in the FCT is wrong, misleading and capable of causing unnecessary fear and apprehension.
“Also, communities are not resorting to self-help as indicated, rather, they have a new sense of awareness that security is everyone’s business and the Police need every cooperation and support the citizens can provide for a safer community.
“In the spirit of community policing, there is nothing wrong, and of course, the law permits the people in an area to come together as groups to form alliance and partnership with the Police deployed to their communities, to inter alia, dissect security issues affecting them and also evolve collective approaches to tackle the threats.
“The Nigeria Police Act 2020 is explicit on this. Vigilante group is just one nomenclature amongst the many groups of people that may decide to come together to assist the police in ensuring effective policing. These groups are not expected to work in isolation but rather under the supervision of the Police. They are also not an alternative means of protecting lives and property in the country.”
On communities resorting to self-help, the police image maker said: “Like I said, the communities are not resorting to self-help. The Command has since improved on its community engagement effort. We hold town hall meetings to engage community stakeholders. In the meetings, we have every strata of our communities represented, if they have lost faith in the Police, they will not attend. Also, our recent achievements in crime fighting are made possible through community support, trust and collaboration.”
On the vigilantes carrying weapons, she said: “We have the firearms Act which stipulates what is permissible as regard, who should possess firearms, the kinds and for what purpose. Anyone who does otherwise contravenes the law. As part of efforts targeted at reclaiming the public space and enhancing public safety, the Command has continued to carry out mop-up of prohibited firearms in the hands of handlers.”
“There are measures in place to ensure the activities of the vigilante groups or any of such group, is within the confines of the law. For instance, the command holds stakeholders’ meeting regularly where we assess the activities of these groups and resolutions are reached as regard their operations.
“The Commissioner of Police Babaji Sunday reassures residents of the Command’s effort to ensure lives and property are well protected in the FCT as our emergency numbers are in circulation within the FCT,” the command added.
