By Vera Chinonso Aliyu, YeyeNews.com, December 5, 2021
The authorities of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja has decided to hire vigilantes to guard the city in the face of rising bandit attacks. An aide of the FCT minister told YeyeNews.com that the decision was taken to engage vigilantes because of the apparent failure of the security agencies to keep the city safe from the bandits and kidnappers.
“We can no longer rely on the police to effectively protect the FCT. Residents now live in fear while the security personnel only chase after young men driving flashy cars to extort them. The minister decided he can not allow this bandit siege to continue so he has contracted vigilantes from Nasarawa and some neighboring states to protect the FCT and its inhabitants”, the aide said.
Some residents of the FCT confirmed the presence of vigilantes at strategic areas across the city. A staff of the University of Abuja expressed delight that the presence of the vigilantes has helped in returning calm to the area. “It is these boys (vigilantes) that are making us sleep with our two eyes closed here. The bandits used to harass residents but since the vigilantes came everywhere has been calm. Some of the bandits even came to steal a goat yesterday but the vigilantes chased them into the bush and retrieved the goat back to the owner. This place is now like our fortress. The bandits don’t come here and we don’t go to the forest. Though our farm products are now food to the bandits but we are happy we can sleep in our houses”.
But a police officer who pleaded anonymity told YeyeNews.com reporter that there is nothing the vigilantes are doing that the police cannot do if they are given the necessary resources. “These vigilantes are not working for free. They are paid big money. Let the politicians give even half of that money to the police and see if we will not chase those bandits into neighboring countries. But they will rather starve the police and expect us to perform magic. Politicians cannot be living luxurious lives at the expense the police while expecting us to put our lives on the line. It won’t work. Until they learn to take care of the police, everyone will continue to sleep with their eyes open. Going to bring the FBI from America will not change that”, the source said.
