There is no gainsaying that security is the most fundamental need of human beings. A disturbed mind results in a restless, hapless and distraught personality. Issues of security and safety have been a major migraine for Lagosians in view of increasing acts of lawlessness and social disorder exemplified by the recent invasion of militants in some communities in Ikorodu and Igando areas of the state, armed robbery, and kidnapping which was brought to limelight by the recent kidnapping of the Oniba of Iba – a Lagos suburb.
It has become expedient to revisit the role of vigilante groups readily accessible to the populace in curbing crime in Nigeria’s commercial capital. With increasing activities of hoodlums, the motley communities comprising Lagos definitely need a commensurate increased vigilance from security agencies at this time of economic down-turn.
Over the years, local vigilantes have helped to patrol neighbourhoods under the supervision of the police in many communities in Lagos. Thus, the Lagos State House of Assembly recently passed a bill for a law to establish the Lagos State neighbourhood safety agency tagged- Neighbourhood Safety Agency Bill, 2016 to regulate and control safety corps activities and for connected purposes. The Bill came to the fore, in a bid to ensure that emerging highbrow crimes like killings by herdsmen, kidnapping, ritual killings and terrorism do not take root in Lagos State.
The efficacy of the philosophy and policies of any system of government in any given society depends on their faithful implementation. Hence, the vigilante system must not be turned to tools in the hands of influential community leaders to threaten and punish their adversaries. Also, a major caution note is that the security outfit to emerge should not compete with the Nigeria Police, but must complement their efforts in preventing and combating crime, since our laws do not recognize state policing.
The fulcrum of the foregoing is that crime prevention is not achieved through isolated retaliatory actions or pre-emptive violence of policing organizations but by prompt reporting of such incidents to the law enforcement agencies in our neighbourhood. It is in the light of the above that the law is laudable.
With the introduction of a well-structured neighbourhood watch security outfit, potential crimes will be detected early and prevented before maturing into full-blown offence.
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