As part of efforts to reduce the crime rate to the barest minimum in the country, two Police Chiefs and Absolute security firm, have sought the cooperation of the members of the Vigilance Group of Nigeria
(VGN), to face the present security challenges in the country.
Speaking at a two-day seminar and retreat on “Security awareness and strategy programme”, for 1,600 members of the Ekiti State Command of the Vigilance, organised by zone 8 of Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in conjuction with an Abuja based private security firm, Absolute Security and Consultancy Services, held at the Trade Fair Complex, Ado-Ekiti,the state capital, the Assistant Inspector General of Police(AIG) in charge of Zone 8, Mr Uzor Amakulor, called for the support of the vigilance members in the state to combat criminal activities in their various communities.
Mr Amakulor further stressed that “all hands must be on deck in the area of fighting criminals in our domain”, saying that “with the genuine support of vigilance members in the state; the security is no more the problem for the force.
He said, “The issue of insecurity in some parts of the country is the handiwork of few unscrupulous elements in our midst and by God Grace, they will be caught and disgraced very soon”.
The police boss saluted the courage of Ekiti indigenes for being ready to assist the security agents particularly, the police to secure the lives and property of its citizenry, noting that the issue of security in a country should be taken from grassroots to the centre.
“The voluntary participation of people in the security of their community through their membership of Vigilance will afford the three tiers of government to work effectively with the police and other security agencies and I believe that it is going to provide employment opportunity for the members of the Vigilance group at the end of the day. Let me tell you that the community policing is for the peaceful coexistence of the country and the essence is to mobilize the people at the grassroots so as to provide security in their areas because communities know the crime offenders better than the police”.
In his address, the State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Olayinka Balogun, said that the security issue was the foremost in the anal of any nation particularly the community, noting that a community without security was not a community.
He observed that vigilance was the intelligent aspect of security in which a security man must be vigilant and know what is happening around him, referring to the vigilance group in the nation as that of neighbourhood watch in the advanced country of the world.
Balogun told the members of the vigilance that they have special role to play in the security of their communities, stressing that the security agents cannot provide security alone for the people because without support of people or community, the police could not achieve its mission.
His words: “As you all know that there is correlation between security and development and no nation can develop without security. I want to tell you that the constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria empowers the citizens to arrest a suspect, without power to detain but immediately after the arrest has been made, you should handover the suspect to the police for proper investigation. Once again, let me tell you, do not take the law into your hand by applying unreasonable and brute force on any suspect and let your action have human face in dealing with members of the public”.
The Commandant General of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN), Usman Muhammed Jahun commended the effort of the state government and the police in the state for creating an enabling environment for its members to operate to the best of their ability.
Last modified: February 14, 2012
