By Linus Aleke
The Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) has reacted to the circular by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Security Committee, which banned vigilante groups in the FCT from carrying arms, noting that it cannot function without arms.

Its Commander-General, Navy Captain A.B Umar Bakori (rtd), who disclosed this while addressing a press conference in Abuja over the weekend, said the group had put measures in place to check impersonation, noting that it would not allow dubious elements to hide under its credible name to perpetuate any form of criminality.

He noted that the VGN has been collaborating with the military and other security and intelligence agencies to rid the country of terrorism and other emerging security threats.

He said: “The circular is not made for us, I read the circular from the FCT Committee on security. It was about community vigilante; we are a registered national organisation with the Corporate Affairs Commission. This is our Certificate of Incorporation. This is proof of our corporate and legitimate existence. This is our original certificate, and we are national. This is also the certificate for our trademark. Our logo is also certificated, and this headquarters is the one recognised by the CAC. We assist all the security operatives in this country, our members carry arms in the northeast, northwest and southeast.”

He added that its members were trained by the army, police, and the Department of Security Services (DSS).

Reacting to the ban, he said: “I am sure that the issue of banning vigilantes from carrying arms is very unbecoming because there is no way we can operate without weapons. Most of our weapons are registered, as I said earlier, we assist the police. Before going on any operations, if we suspect anything, we report immediately to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO). There are DPOs that can not lead an operation into certain localities without our men. We also assist NDLEA, most of the successes they are recording are information from our men but because we don’t make noise, does not mean we are not working.

“We are not working because we want to be recognized, no we are working because we are Nigerians and we want the country to be safe. We must assist to ensure that our people sleep with their eyes closed.”

The FCT Security Committee last week introduced a Code of Conduct for vigilance groups operating in the territory, placing a ban on the use of firearms by their members.

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In the newly established Code of Conduct for members of Vigilance Groups in the FCT, the security committee also prohibited them from carrying out operations without the presence of the police or the express approval of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), in their respective jurisdictions.

Director of Information and Communication in the FCT, Muhammad Hazat Sule in a statement said members of the vigilance groups are permitted to possess and use weapons for self-defence or other lawful purposes as allowed by the DPO.

These were some of the decisions reached by the FCT Security Committee at its 11th meeting presided over by the Minister, Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello, held in Gwarinpa I District, Abuja.

He said the new approved code required that any member of the group, who recovers a hazardous weapon from a criminal suspect is expected to keep a detailed account and report to the police for further investigation.

“The Committee permitted the vigilante group to make arrests of anyone who violates the laws of the land as allowed under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015,” said Sule.