The Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Dr. Solomon Arase, has promised to talk to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, on the need to integrate the activities of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) into the Nigeria Police Force (NPF)

Arase, a former IGP dropped the hint in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the National Vigilante Conference 2023, with the theme: “Mobilising Vigilante Group of Nigeria Members for Improved Security in Schools, Farmlands and Roads.”

He underscored the importance of vigilance groups in Nigeria, noting that no country could provide adequate security for its citizens without the help of those at the grassroots.

Promising to meet with the IGP to discuss modalities for the police to fully incorporate the VGN in policing the country, he said they have the numerical strength.

“What we have to do is that since the Police Act of 2020, has already said community policing should be encouraged from the local government, state and national level, we need to see how we can incorporate the activities of the vigilantes, because they have the numerical strength.

“After this, I will meet with the IGP to see how we can have a joint workshop with the Police and the VGN because then we will now be able to demarcate our boundaries, know what and what not we are supposed to do and collaborate.

“There is no country that has been able to deal with social disorder without having the requisite information that is possessed into intelligence. So, it is important we collaborate with the vigilantes,” he said.

According to him, no security force would be able to dominate the security space considering the nation’s land mass.

“When you are talking about security, there are two things that come to mind of countries that have been able to deal with issues of banditry and terrorism. The first is dominance of the security space.

“Number two is visibility. How visible are the security agents? How can they cover the land space in this country? This conference has given us the opportunity to start the conversation of how we can incorporate the VGN into the security architecture of Nigeria,” he said.

He also noted that, as the IGP in 2015, he convoked a security summit, adding that, “the argument that time was since we don’t have the numerical strength to dominate the security space, what do we do?

“The answer was; you rely on non-state actors. And the vigilantes are of one of very necessary non-state actors that we require.”

However, he added: “The big question is, who understands the socio-economic environment in which they are policing more, it is the people who are domiciled in those areas.

“Those are the best people that can police the country and since the vigilantes draw strength from across the 36 states of the federation, all we have to do is to say can we have a conversation with the security agencies, especially the police, to incorporate you into you their community policing policy.”

He stressed that the danger of not incorporating the vigilantes was that they must be compensated, even though they are patriotic enough to secure their communities without pay.

“On his part, he Commandant General, VGN, Capt. Umar Bakori (rtd) said, “Our focus today lies in mobilising our members to safeguard schools, farmlands, and roads – vital spaces that demand our utmost attention.

“With our strength of over a million members nationwide and all operating in our localities can play a crucial role in safeguarding these vital areas.” (THISDAY)

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