Still On Arming Vigilantes

Recently, there has been a back-and-forth between the Ondo State governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and the federal government on the issue of arming quasi-security outfits with high calibre weapons.

Governor Akeredolu had repeatedly spoken on the need for the state security outfit, Ondo State Security Network, alias Amotekun Corps, and other state and regional security outfits set up by laws enacted by state legislature to be allowed to bear sophisticated weapons in order to confront the threats posed by criminal elements like terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers, killer-herdsmen, pipeline vandals and such other violent criminals.

In one of his arguments, he pointed at the pipeline surveillance contract recently awarded by the federal government to a firm in which a Niger Delta militant, Government Ekpemudopolo, alias Tompolo, has interests in, and said if such non-state actors could be allowed to bear sophisticated weapons in the course of carrying out their duties, there was no reason why government-backed vigilance groups should not be allowed same.

Akeredolu had also pointed to a viral video in which a Katsina State-backed security outfit was seen training with high-calibre AK-47 automatic rifles, and insisted that if such vigilantes in Katsina could be allowed use of the sophisticated weapons, he would similarly equip Amotekun Corps in his state.

Governor Akeredolu’s call elicited a quick reaction from the federal government, through the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the president, Garba Shehu. He said no state in the federation, including Katsina, had been authorised by the president to procure automatic weapons for their security outfits.

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According to him, under this administration, the president has repeatedly made it clear that nobody is allowed to illegally carry AK-47 or any other automatic weapons and that they must surrender them.

He said where they fail to do so, the law enforcement agencies had been given clear directives to deal with any such outlaws. According to him, only the Office of the National Security Adviser can issue such authorisation, upon proper clearance by the president and commander-in-chief,  adding that at this moment, no such approvals had been issued to any state government.

Referring to the Katsina State incident cited by the Ondo State governor, the President’s aide explained that Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari had invited the Provost of the Civil Defence Training College in Katsina to train their vigilantes in the handling and operations of pump action rifles.

According to Shehu, the vigilantes were not trained to take over the responsibilities of the security agencies of the government  but to assist them.

Northern States Increasingly Relying On Vigilantes For Policing

Governor Akeredolu is not the only state governor that has called for a better arming of state-backed vigilantes after it became evident that security agencies, despite their best efforts, have been unable to respond to the security needs of communities across Nigeria which are often exposed to invasion and pillage by rampaging marauders.

The governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, had recently vowed to do everything within his power to ensure the state security outfit is armed to fight criminality, which in the state comes in the form of unrelenting attacks by herdsmen militia.

Another state government that had indicated an intention to arm its vigilance outfits with sophisticated weapons is Zamfara. In fact, the state governor Bello Matawalle had publicly encouraged its citizens, who wished to acquire weapons to fight the bandits terrorizing their communities, to come forward. Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina had also encouraged individuals to defend themselves against bandits, a call first made by defence minister, retired General Bashir Magashi.

These promptings by the above authority men are a negation of  the 2019 Executive Order issued by President Muhammadu Buhari which banned the possession of arms by non-state actors in a move to stop states from arming their people against armed invaders.

As a newspaper we call for caution from all parties to this debate. The federal government must not give the impression of bias in this matter as it has been accused of by Governor Akeredolu. What sense does it make to train Katsina vigilantes on AK-47 rifles’ use when the trainees would not be allowed to use the weapon?

For governors seeking to arm poorly trained quasi-security outfits, they should be wary in progressing along this route for they could be empowering another set of persons who could turn around to become a danger to society.

While we appreciate the governors’ frustrations with the inadequacies of the country’s present policing system, it does not make sense to sow the seeds of another problem in trying to solve the present one, which arming vigilance groups would entail.

What the states and the federal government need to do is to demand greater responsibility and operational efficiency with the aid of technology from the present policing and military systems while pursuing constitutional devolution of powers which will lead to the establishment of state police.