VGN Boss Begs Buhari To Sign Vigilante Bill

Commander-general of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN), Navy Captain Umar Bakori (rtd) has commended the National Assembly for the speedy passage of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria Bill and appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to it.

The Senate in Committee of the Whole and Plenary on Tuesday considered the VGN (Establishment) Bill 2022 (HB 437) and approved clauses 1-30 as recommended, interpretation as recommended, Schedule as recommended, Short and Long Titles as recommended including the Explanatory Memorandum as recommended.

The bill sponsored by Senate Leader, Ibrahim Gobir was read the Third time and passed.

The bill which seeks to establish the Vigilante Group of Nigeria with the powers to provide community policing, maintenance of law and order and community service for Nigerians was first passed into law in November 2021 by the House of Representatives.

The House in the Committee of the Whole had considered and adopted 29 out of the 30 clauses in the Bill’s report presented by Hon. Kabiru Idris.

The ad-hoc committee had deliberated on this and agreed that all aspects of financial obligations from the federal government should be removed and that the group should stand on its own, generate contributions from federal, state and local government.

A statement by the national public relations officer Igho Akeregha,Bakori assured the federal government and the National Assembly that his officers and men numbering about 1,500,000 and embedded in all communities, local governments and states in Nigeria have been well trained by the Police, DSS and NSCDC to complement national security efforts at all levels.

He said with the passage of the long-awaited bill by the NASS, President Buhari’s promise to Nigerians that he would bequeath a safe and secure country before he leaves power is now realisable.