Police opposes moves to revive vigilante group

Nigeria’s police authorities said on Monday they will not allow plans to resume the use of anti-crime vigilante groups in southeastern Anambra State. Anambra State governor, Chinwoke Mbadinuju, last week announced the formation of a new vigilante outfit to be known as "ASMATA Boys", coined from the acronym of the Anambra State Markets Amalgamated Traders Association. In 2000 Mbadinuju had set up the Anambra Vigilante Services, better known as the Bakassi Boys, who became renowned for their unorthodox methods, including summary execution of hundreds of suspected criminals by publicly decapitating them and setting them ablaze. The group was disbanded by the police in September on the orders of President Olusegun Obasanjo after they were accused of targeting political opponents of the Anambra State government. "This outfit (ASMATA Boys) will definitely be a parallel outfit to the police which is unconstitutional, as no other organisation shall be formed to perform the duties of the police," A.T. Gaya, Anambra police commissioner, said in a statement. “No sectional or political security outfit, independent of police control and management shall be allowed in the state. Any such outfit will be dislodged with appropriate force,” he added. A leading human rights group, the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) also weighed in by expressing its opposition to the return of "monstrous vigilantism". CLO also accused Mbadinuju of manipulating the traders’ association for his own political ends by imposing a "handpicked" leadership on ASMATA.