The commissioner of police in Rivers State, Nwonyi Emeka, has warned vigilante groups in the state not to engage in the detention, torture and extortion of arrested suspects.
Emeka gave the warning yesterday in Port Harcourt, the state capital, during a stakeholders’ meeting with the people of Rivers East senatorial district.
The district is made up of Etche, Emohua, Ikwerre, Omuma, Ogu/Bolo, Obio/Akpor, Okrika and Port Harcourt City local government areas of the state.
The meeting was attended by local government chairmen, traditional rulers, youth leaders and vigilante groups in the senatorial district.
The police commissioner said, “The vigilante in crime fighting in Rivers State has come to stay. While we like their activities, we emphasize on their excess.
“We will not tolerate jungle justice from vigilantes. We cannot have a group of people to protect life and property and the same people are the ones killing, beheading.
“Tyrannical activities of vigilante must be curtailed. They are not force unit themselves. For instance, we have situation where they turn to debt collectors; flogging people.
“Your duty is to arrest and share information. You don’t have power to detain and investigate. If a person is condemned by court for hanging and the person is shot, the person who shot him has committed murder,” he said.
At the meeting, the deputy commissioner of police (State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department), Victor Erivwede, accused the vigilante groups of engaging in human right abuses.
Erivwede said, “There are many human right abuses by the vigilante groups. Vigilante group or OSPAC started well but, started derailing when they began to take contracts from political leaders.
“If I have my way, I will tell the commissioner of police to review the OSPAC and other vigilante groups. Many of the OSPAC members are criminals.
“I have a case in my table where a vigilante member shot a man dead because the man spoke to his girlfriend.”
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