The Police Command in Rivers State has said they were handling a case in which a vigilante shot a man dead for making advances at his girlfriend.
Briefing newsmen in Port Harcourt, state Commissioner of Police, Nwonyi Emeka, warned against excesses of vigilantes in the state, as the Police tagged most members of the popular vigilante group, the Onelga Security Peace Advisory Committee, OSPAC, as criminals.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Victor Erivwede, in charge of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, SCIID, said: “There are many human rights abuses by the vigilante group.
“OSPAC started well but derailed when they began taking contracts from political leaders. If I have my way, I will tell the CP to review OSPAC as a vigilante group.
“Many of the OSPAC are criminals. I have a case on my table where a vigilante member shot a man dead because the man spoke to his girlfriend.”
In the riot act he read to vigilantes across the state, CP Emeka acknowledged that “Vigilante in crime fighting in Rivers has come to stay. While we like their activities, we are concerned about their excesses.
“We will not tolerate jungle justice from vigilantes. We cannot have a group of people to protect life and property, and the same people are the ones killing beheading. Tyranny among vigilantes must be curtailed.
“They are not a force unit themselves. For instance, we have situations where they turn to debt collectors, flogging people. Your duty is to arrest and share information.
“You don’t have the power to detain and investigate. If a person is condemned by the court for hanging, and the person is shot, the person who shot him has committed murder.”
Chairmen of Omuma, Ikwerre, Etche, Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor Local Governments, traditional rulers, youth leaders, and vigilance groups were present on the occasion.
