Pix; Navy Captain (Dr) Umar Bakori (rtd), Commander General, Vigilante Group of Nigeria
Following security reports that fleeing bandits were making incursions into the fringes of the territory, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has said that plans are on the way to hire local vigilante groups to provide security in schools in the territory.
The Director, Administration and Finance in the security services department of the FCTA , Dr. Abdul-lateef Bello who disclosed this at a press briefing in Abuja, said the security architecture of the territory was being overstretched.
He said the measure was temporary until a blueprint on security is developed by the FCTA soon.
”Plans have been concluded by the administration to hire vigilante services to provide security in the various public schools across the territory.” He said.
”We are talking of short term measures when we said we are helping public schools to facilitate the procurement of vigilantes to complement the efforts of conventional security agencies. Remember that some of the vigilantes, if not all are part of the neighborhood.
”They were sourced from the neighborhoods where those schools are situated. So, they know better, it is a way of establishing a relationship between the community and the government. When the vigilantes see anything that is beyond them, they relate with the conventional security agencies to help out.
”Let us liken security management to a football game. In a football game, nobody will ask the goal keeper, how many goals were saved, rather, what we want to know is how many goals were scored. I can tell you that for for every 15 or 60 crimes, or criminals arrested, be assured that about that about 50 or 60 situations would have been saved or prevented.” Bello said.