Ibrahim Idris

Vigilante groups in Rivers State have called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris to, as a matter of urgency, herdsmen and other militant groups in the country before telling them to drop their arms.

The call comes in the wake of the order from the IGP which instructed the Rivers State Police Command to issue a 21-day ultimatum to all vigilante groups and its members to surrender all their arms or risk being prosecuted if caught.

Speaking in Port Harcourt, the leader of Diobu Vigilante Group (DVG), Victor Ohaji while describing the directive as anti-security said the Police order would affect communities that are currently being ravaged by violence and cult-related activities.

Ohaji said it was rather unfortunate and inappropriate for the IGP to order that vigilante groups, whom he said were helping the Police and other security agencies in their fight against crime, to give up their arms.

“It is not good for the vigilante groups to submit arms when we know that criminals in the state are armed with sophisticated weapons. It will affect security because we cannot go after criminals who have guns with sticks,” Ohaji said.

“They that are giving this order have guns and security. It will affect the common people who do not have money to provide security for themselves. They should also retrieve arms from herdsmen, Boko Haram and other criminal elements for us to have a crime – free nation,” he added.