In Uromi, Edo State, vigilantes have protested in the streets after State Commissioner of Police Monday Agbonika confiscated their firearms.
Following recent security concerns in the state, the protest began its second day on Monday. One of the vigilantes, who has been a vigilante for 21 years, stated during the demonstration, “We are here until they answer us.”
According to the group, they have been assisting Divisional Police Officers in keeping the calm in tense areas for years. Many of them claim to have gotten formal training from the government, including arms handling, tactical mobility, and other security operations, and were granted certificates after finishing the exercise.
However, upon assumption of office, Agbonika reportedly ordered the recovery of their firearms as part of a comprehensive revamp of the state’s security infrastructure.
The vigilantes said that although they followed the directive, they were taken aback when the CP later boasted about obtaining more than 2,000 firearms on live television. They now fear for their lives, particularly in light of the state’s resurgence of police custody escape allegations.
“We are no longer safe, so we need our guns back,” said the spokesman for the group.
“We are yet to work until they answer us because we have suffered on this job. As a person like me, I have been a vigilante for 21 years. Now, if you check my hand, more than 15 bullets are inside my hand currently,” he added.
Another protester claimed in a video posted on X by @NigeriaStories that they are finding it challenging to continue helping law enforcement as a result of the weapons confiscation.
“We have been working with our Divisional Police Officer right from the beginning. We worked with him and any area we received calls from, we move in to make restore peace,” the protester said.
He added, “When there was a problem in Ikpoba-Okha, we came out from our houses to make sure we supported the DPO to ensure there was peace in Ikpoba-Okha. Now they have collected our arms; we cannot support the DPO again and many things have been happening around Edo State.”
“That’s why we, the vigilantes, are protesting. They trained us on how to shoot, dive and do many things. After training, they gave us our certificates. Unfortunately, when the new CP came, he said he wanted to repair Edo State and we respect him as a good citizen of Edo State, we used our hands to give him our guns.”
The demonstration takes place weeks after a group of northern hunters from Kano were apprehended by vigilantes in Uromi who were suspected of kidnapping them; 16 people were lynched in the ensuing incident, which infuriated and angered northern leaders, including the Arewa Consultative Forum.
