Yobe State Police Command has announced the arrest of three members of a local security outfit (vigilante) for criminal conspiracy, house trespass, burglary, receiving and trading in stolen properties in the state capital, Damaturu.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Dungus Abdulkarim.
Following the arrest, the Commissioner of Police, Garba Ahmed has therefore warned criminals to desist from their criminal acts or change their location from anywhere in the State.
CP Garba Ahmed also called for a review of the registration and activities of the vigilante outfits in the state, acknowledging their important role in complementing security agencies in the fight against crime and criminality.
The development is a result of a series of complaints about the untoward actions of some of those outfit members, as another incident was recorded.
The statement read, “On June 27, 2024, the Police Response Unit (Haba Maza) responded to a distress call from a shop owner in Damaturu who had employed vigilante members for guard duties and the vigilante members carted away the shop’s goods and other items worth large sum of money without explanation.
“Investigations however led to the arrest of Ibrahim Mohammed, 24, and Hassan Umar, 25, who were found in possession of some of stolen items, the suspects however implicated another vigilante member in the crime who was immediately arrested.
“The public is advised to be vigilant in recruiting personal security guards and report criminal elements posing as vigilante members to the Police for action.
“Meanwhile, the Command is developing a strategic plan for proper documentation and supervision of Divisional Police Offices regarding vigilante activities in their jurisdictions.
“In this vein, the Commissioner of Police urged the public to continue supporting their Divisional Police Stations and report unscrupulous security personnel activities to the state headquarters through the Complaints Response Unit (CRU) at 07068858500 or address the complaint’s letter to the Commissioner of Police through the PPRO.”
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