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Top News - Insecurity situation in the country, especially in the north, has resulted in the establishments of different vigilante groups that have been keeping the peace in different communities. But what is the level of assistance they are getting from the people and the govenments? ABBA ABUBAKAR KABARA, Zamfara; ABUBAKAR SALIHI, Kano; SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri and MIDAT JOSEPH, Kaduna, give details of their efforts in their various states
Top News - Insecurity situation in the country, especially in the north, has resulted in the establishments of different vigilante groups that have been keeping the peace in different communities. But what is the level of assistance they are getting from the people and the govenments? ABBA ABUBAKAR KABARA, Zamfara; ABUBAKAR SALIHI, Kano; SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri and MIDAT JOSEPH, Kaduna, give details of their efforts in their various states
With the state of insecurity getting worse nationwide, different vigilante groups have emerged in different states to ensure safety of lives and property. These groups have formed alternatives to the regular police force in the enforcement of law and order, while keeping a watchful eye on the communities they monitor.
In Zamfara State, about 4,590 vigilante members, engaged by the state government, are facing serious challenges in risking their lives to the daunting threats posed by gunmen who have killed hundreds of village communities in multiple attacks in the last two years.
According to the state Chairman of the Vigilante Voluntary Organisation, Alhaji Bashir Nafi’u, the gunmen usually come in large group, using very sophisticated AK-47 rifles, and often killing several victims in a single attack.
He added that the situation is terrifying, because “members of my organisation are poorly armed,” while explaining that the voluntary vigilante use local and less effective arms like daggers, bows and arrows, dane guns and similar weapons for defence against the terrifying attacks by the gunmen.
And despite the daunting challenges faced by the vigilante in risking their lives to protect those of the communities, “We have never received any assistance from the society to encourage or complement the efforts of the government,” he said, adding that if the society does not show interest in co-operating with his organisation as a collective responsibility to maintain security, “we will not ask anybody to do so,” he maintained.
The chairman further explained that the state government under Abubakar’s administration is committing huge amounts of money to maintain the over 4,000 vigilante members, as, according to him, each member is paid a monthly allowance of N5,000, in addition to the N10,000 monthly allowance for each of the 180 unit heads across the state.
Nafi’u disclosed that the state government spends over N200 million on monthly basis to assist the vigilante members across the state, and this, he said, is in addition to 18 new Toyota Hilux vans and hundreds of motorcycles donated to the organisation by Governor Yari Abubakar in the effort to control the deteriorating security situation.
He also explained that the state government is indicating concern for the welfare of the families of members of his organisation, recalling the incidence of last December when 10 vigilante members were massacred in Rukudawa village of Zurmi local government, following which he said “Governor Yari paid compensation to the families of the deceased”, adding further that even the families of those killed in the recent Kizara massacre were fully compensated.
Their other major source of inspiration and courage, according to Nafi’u, is the co-operation and support his organisation enjoys from the state police command and the Department of the State Security (DSS) who consistently collaborate with the vigilante group, offering advice and guidance to ensure that the vigilante members operate in line with law and order.
The state Commissioner of Information, Alhaji Ibrahim Muhammad Birnin Magaji, told LEADERSHIP Sunday that the government was on top of security issue and would continue to explore every avenue to ensure that public security is guaranteed.
And the situation in Kano State is not different. The Commander, Neighbourhood Watch (Vigilante Security), Alhaji K. Ibrahim, told LEADERSHIP Sunday that his members, while carrying out their operations, were confronted by armed men and it resulted in the lose of lives of some vigilante member, while others sustained severe injuries that led to permanent deformity.
On the perils of insurgency by Boko Haram sect, where in some states vigilante members were involved in fighting it, Ibrahim confirmed that he lost eight members of his command last year, while the late Alhaji Sule Kwaras was gun down by suspected members of the Boko Haram sect when he was observing his night prayer at his residence located at the notorious Sheka quarters in Kumbotso local government area of Kano.
“It happened last year when our members resumed from operation and were disembarking from the vehicle along Gidan Akida in Tarauni local government area. Unknown gun men attacked them, killing some and injured several others,” the Kano State vigilante commander stated.
“Another death of our men occurred on Friday, during a market day in Wudil town, Wudil local government area. Unknown gunmen opened fire on them killing two and injured others,” he said.
According to him, the Wudil killing might be perpetrated by armed robbers, who thought of attacking and killing members of the vigilante group to get an easy way to rub people in the area.
He stated that it was that same year his members were attacked by hoodlums at Dala quarters in Dala local government, where they chopped off the hands of the vigilante men, lamenting non-appreciation of what they are doing by members of the community. He described as unfortunate, how they have reached out to few well-to-do individuals in the society, seeking for assistance on behalf of their injured members and the families of those who lost their lives while on duty.
On the part of the state and local government administrations, he said no single government in the past had ever made it a priority and set aside allowances or rendered support for their members.
Ibrahim eulogised the present state government for introducing the law providing for their establishment, registration and monitoring of the neighborhood.
The law has provided that vigilante watch was recognised and accepted by the state government, and would benefit from certain financial arrangements, as well as shoulder any legal responsibility they might incur at the course of discharging their duty.
He also singled out Governor Kwankwaso’s gesture as noteworthy for donating N500,000 each to the eight families of their late members, his approval for the monthly release of allowances to the command, and the allocation of 52 Toyota Hilux vehicles for their operations across the 44 local government areas in the state.
He finally called on the state government to look into the possibility of overhauling the vigilante security watch in the state with a view to making it favourably competitive with the challenges of modern insecurity.
The activities of the Vigilante Youths Group in Borno State, popularly known as Yan Gora or “Civilian JTF”, in virtually all the nooks and crannies of the state, following the persistent attacks and killings as well as bombing of innocent people and properties, both public and private respectively by the dreadful Boko Haram insurgents in the past four years recycling annually have become an issue of great concern to all and sundry within and outside the state, and even the country at large, irrespective of religion, tribe, political, social and professional background, not only in Borno State or northern part of the country, but the entire country, which has turned out to be a great security threat and challenge that can never be over-emphasized.
Consequently, in spite of all the measures and strategies adopted by both the state and federal governments in the past in those states grossly affected or confronted by the Boko Haram insurgency, certain levels of peace and orderliness could be said to have been achieved to an extent with the efforts of the government, JTF, STF and vigilante youths group. The group had got its name, Civilian JTF, after the killing of some members of the Boko Haram group including those that have retired from active service of the Boko Haram both within the state capital Maiduguri and local government areas.
But still, it seems the truth is not far away from the reality with the recent sudden attacks of some groups of the “Civilian JTF” in Borno by Boko Haram sect members who have proved to be either stubborn or resistant to all appeals and calls for them to surrender their weapons and resolve to dialogue.
This is however evidenced by the fact that just about two weeks ago in Mainok village and Danban Masara near Dawashi village in Konduga and Kukawa local government councils respectively, some members of the Boko Haram ambushed some members of the “Civilian JTF” on operation in these areas at separate events but over a particular weekend and opened fire on them, killing not less than 10 vigilantes and left over 40 injured from sporadic gunshots. And presently, most of them are still on hospital bed at the Shehu Umar Ultra Modern General Hospital, Bulunkutu in Maiduguri metropolis.
Dependable source at the hospital, who didn’t want their names mentioned told Leadership Sunday that, “We were all surprised when we heard of the news and finally saw them at the hospital. They were seriously injured, to say the fact.”
“We pitied them, and had to rush to give them first aid treatment, before even the doctors on call duty came to them. The worst was there was no GSM network to communicate or call the doctors immediately, but thank God, a doctor on call duty who lives within the hospital premises was available, and he had to singlehandedly carry out the treatment and diagnosis him alone with our support, as nurses on duty,” a source said.
The source further said that, “all the out-patients were treated well at the Emergency/Accident Ward before they were moved to the Male Medical and Surgical wards respectively, depending on the degrees of injury; because some had serious bullet wounds, while others had minor bullet wounds. And they have all been responding to treatment and recovering rapidly.
“The patients are receiving attention, especially from the JTF men. They do come and visit them and talk to them, assuring them that their culprits would be tracked down by the JTF operatives. And we also have enough drugs for them, since we assumed full work during the week. Security is also being provided to them and feeding. Some relations of the Civilian JTF do visit them also, but under scrutiny by the JTF men. Even the staff at the hospital have been warned to be wary of any suspicious movement or intruder into the hospital as visitor,” the source said.
The Maiduguri JTF spokesman, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, told Leadership Sunday that, “We actually regret what happened, and we are making concerted efforts to track down the Boko Haram insurgents in their hideouts outside these villages. Our men have been mobilised and strategies have been adopted to track them down. But this effort will equally affect motorists plying the routes, because we have to close some roads to carry out the operation.
“But, roads like those of Maiduguri-Konduga-Bama-Banki-Gwoza road will be opened soon before the Sallah festivity, following the increase in restoration of peace efforts being experienced recently in the areas. Similarly, the Maiduguri-Damboa-Biu road will also be opened before the Sallah festivity,” Sagir said.
The JTF PRO added that, “We however want to appeal to the public to be patient and bear with us over the closure of the roads. The closure is part of the measures taken by the JTF to counter the Boko Haram insurgency in the state.”
On his part, the Chairman, Civilian JTF, Shehuri North Unit, Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC), Baba Shehu, said, “We are completely not happy with the development. We strongly regret what transpired. It is an incident we can not forget in life. Although, it is part of the Jihad to cleanse the state of these ingrates. It is the Civilian JTF that are carrying out a Jihad against enemies of humanity, not only Islam.
“Nobody sensible or reasonable can tell you that he or she is happy with what happened in Mainaok and Kukawa. We are deeply touched and pray that such will not repeat itself, because it was an ugly event. I am not aware of such development that the state government has given the victims what those that were killed or hospitalised any compensation either in kind or cash, but we heard that government pledged to shoulder all the expenses incurred by those hospitalised in the hospital,” Baba said.
According to him, “It will be interesting and good for the state government to come to the assistance of the victims of the attack, both those killed and those injured for the sake of humanity and sacrifices they have made to bring peace, sanity and orderliness into the state.”
Baba Shehu maintained that “even if government will compensate the victims, it should be done quick and honestly. Because they have sacrificed their lives for the sake of the people and peace of the state. And actually, there is peace in the state, following the contributions and the youths vigilante group, and we are proud of our efforts.
“We cannot be demoralised by the incident and stop our good work of ridding the society of these elements. We are tired of their activities and killing of innocent people, our relations, our parents, our sisters and brothers, our friends and leaders, including religious leaders for nothing and no reason. We will continue to arrest them and hand them over to the JTF for peace.
“However, we are grateful to the government and God for the assistance to our people, and we are impressed with the gesture and hope will reach everybody as well. Peace has returned to our area, except that in the past one year, three months, we lived elsewhere; our houses are damaged, rotten, and drainages blocked, polluting the environment. We need government to come to our aid to fumigate the houses and drain our gutters.
“Similarly, we want the federal and state governments to also assist us to create job opportunities, or provide us with jobs as some of us are graduates of tertiary institutions roaming about without job,” Shehu said.
One Alhaji Mohammed Ahmed, an Islamic scholar based in Gomari Ward of Maiduguri metropolis told Leadership Sunday that, “the incident of killing of Civilian JTF, the Yan Gora youths is a bad omen to efforts of restoring peace and addressing security challenges in the state, where interestingly people have started enjoying some respite and freedom, following the improved security situation in some places across the state to the extent that even the JTF has shown their concern and pleasure over the efforts of the youths. But just overnight, we heard the bad news and it is really touching and sympathetic.
“We hope that government will come to their aid. Government will assist them as they assisted us, and government should bring sanity and peace into the society these few months. Because we want them to continue with what they are doing – like, government has to come in to help them by way of compensating them. Although, we are aware that even the victims of Boko Haram insurgency in some quarters are yet to benefit from any assistance or help from the state government, rather we learnt the governor has appealed to the federal government to assist the people who lost their loved ones or properties,” Ahmed said.
He added further that the killing of the Civilian JTF was a testimony of Islamic Jihad, unlike what the Boko Haram were doing as they didn’t kill or bomb places, but arrest and hand them over to law enforcement agents.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Communication, Isa Umar Gusau, could not be reached for comment, while the governor has been in Saudi Arabia for smaller Hajj, and the state Commissioner of Information and Home Affairs, Inuwa Bwala, was out of town too. Lack of GSM network in the state had also truncated all efforts to contact them for their comments.
Meanwhile, in Kaduna State, members of the vigilante group and their families have come under serious attacks from either known or unknown gunmen in the state.
The attacks on this group of people were largely due to their roles in aiding the police and other security agencies in nipping out criminals and other terrorists group in the state.
The National Leader of the group, Alhaji Ali Sokoto, told LEADERSHIP Sunday that his men were been attacked and killed by the criminals.
It was gathered that members of the vigilante group have on several occasions became victims of gunmen attacks in Birnin Gwari area of Kaduna State and other parts of the state.
It would be recalled that on October 13, 2012, unknown gunmen had opened fire on residents of Dogon Dawa community in Kaduna State, killing several persons including members of the vigilante group and their leader.
And on June 8, 2013, another group of armed bandits stroke in two villages bordering Kaduna and Zamfara states in the same Birnin Gwari local government area, killing at least five people and injuring dozens, including members of the vigilante group.
Wives and children of these members of the vigilante group had been made widows and orphans.
“Our people are suffering today. Many of our men who were killed in the course of their work, are yet to be compensated by their various state governments. Even the federal government has not said anything about it. The families of those vigilante officers killed by gunmen on active duties at most of the states are now helpless. Some, their children can’t even go to school now,” he said, adding that “we have a lot of problems in the country. We are not also safe. While we are helping government and the security agencies in the protection of lives and property, we have also become targets of these criminals.
“Our major concern here is thatsome state governments have not recognised our roles and have not licensed us to do our jobs proper,” he added.
