Following the proliferation of several community-based vigilante groups across Rivers State, the Commissioner of Police, Polycarp Nwonyi says their activities would be closely monitored.

Nwonyi, who said this during a Stakeholders Meeting with the people of the Rivers East Senatorial District in Port Harcourt, explained that this was to forestall human rights abuses, intimidation, and other acts that might precipitate disorder in the local communities.

He said this became imperative following the tyrannical activities of some vigilante people who turn themselves to debt collectors and detain people indiscriminately without requisite legal powers.

“Tyrannical activities of the vigilante must be curtailed. They’re not a force unit themselves.”  

“For instance, we have a situation where they turn to debt collectors, flogging people. Your duty is to arrest and share information; you don’t have the power to detain and investigate.”

Nwonyi warned that the Police under his watch will not tolerate jungle justice from vigilante groups, stressing that “we will not tolerate jungle justice from vigilantes”.

“We cannot have a group of people to protect lives and property and the same people are killing and beheading.”

He called on chairmen of local government areas and traditional rulers to synergise with the security and law enforcement agencies to check the activities of vigilante groups in their domains.

“Activities of the vigilante groups must be monitored by traditional rulers, police and local government area chairmen. Any arrest made by vigilante groups must be handed over to the police.”

Nwonyi thereafter ordered the various divisional police officers to monitor the activities of the vigilante groups within their jurisdictions against illegal detention, extortion and torture of members of the public.