The Vigilante Group of Nigeria Rivers State Chapter has called on Governor Nyesom Wike to come to their assistance and partner with the group to fight insurgency and all forms of crime in the state.
Dr Miracle N.D Odibo Tom Big Harry who is the state Chaplin of the vigilante group made this call in an interview with our reporters in Port Harcourt.
According to Big Harry, “Though VGN is a Federal Government Grass Root security outfit responsible for community policing which complements the efforts of other security agencies, it is equally needful for them to work without borders to see that crime is reduced to zero level in the state.
“Now we are ready to work, to fight insecurity challenges in the state, but our major challenge is lack of equipment. We cannot do this without equipments fire arms, bullet proof, utility vehicles. We also need offices in order to have proper documentation of all our activities, we are operating from rented offices throughout the state”We cannot fight crimes with empty hands. We have succeeded to a large extent by our collective efforts,by the use of mere machete and jackknife but it has endanger the lives and health of our member’s” Dr Harry said.
Dr Harry said that on several occasions they have written to the Rivers State governor. But some certain individuals have prevented their letters from getting to the governor, and the governor is not aware of it.
” we have written severally to the state governor. But I believed that there are some people in the system who have not allowed our correspondents to get to him. They have decided to politicised it. They are antagonising Vigilante Group Of Nigeria. A lot of people think it is the doing of the governor, but the governor is not aware of it. Non of our letters written have ever gotten to him. It is when correspondent come, he will give orders,he will act on it. I believe that he is still waiting to hear from us,but he hasn’t because the letters that were written were all hidden from him ” he stated.
He further stated that the commissioner of police on resumption, has started reaching out to them.
” the new commissioner of police is a very intelligent gallant officer, who has started reaching out to us as soon as he resumed. One of his first priority was that he tried to reach our commander, to see how we can work together as a team. Talks are on, and the IGP, commissioner of police ,and all the DPO’s at area command will walk with us. But the challenge still remain that we are not fully equipped ” he stated.
The VGN said they had series of training by the Nigeria Police Force and intelligence training by the DSS, stressing that they are ready to fight crime but they need the backings of the Government, and where the federal government fails to fund the security outfit, it becomes necessary for the Rivers State Government to fund their activities especially now that election is here.
He equally optioned that on one hand, the insecurity in the state has political undertone because the appropriate authorities are locked out of proper information on the state of things around them; and on the other hand it has no political undertone because even the police has no enough arms and ammunitions and adequate information to help in fighting crime.
Dr Miracle also said that the Rivers State sponsored Neighbourhood watch was proscribed as a result of misconception and misunderstanding between the federal and the state governments, stating that it was much on political reasons.
Mr Harry further appealed to the state governor, the director DSS and the Rivers State Commissioner Of Police to come to their aid, in order for them to carry out their duties effectively.
“firstly, we are calling on the state governor chief Barr. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike and his cabinet to look into the welfare and administration of the Vigilante Group Of Nigeria by providing the necessary amenities we need to assist the state and other security agencies to combat crime like kidnapping, assassination, rubbery and so on.
Secondly, we are appealing to the director DSS Rivers State, the commissioner of police, GOC, 6 battalion and the Nigerian Army to use their good office to also help project the Vigilante Group Of Nigeria, that has been assigned by the federal government to protect the lives and properties in Rivers State. Thereby helping us to be more effective in Rivers state as other states of the federation are effective because they are fully armed. How do we respond to distress call when we lack the equipment to do our work. If the VGN is equipped, the security of the state will be enhanced and the residents of the state will no longer live in fear” he stated.
Finally, one would have expected the Governor of Rivers State to make use of the vigilante Group of Nigeria, fund them and make use of them even now that elections are near, and more now that there is serious insecurity challenges in the state.
The people are willing to work with the Governor for the security of the state; because as at now what they are requesting is not to place them on payroll but to equip them with materials needed to use in fighting crime. They could be useful to the present administration during the forthcoming elections especially now that there is fear that there is speculation that ruling party might use Federal Government apparatus to rig and manipulate election results.
