The police in Yobe have arrested three vigilante members for allegedly stealing building materials in Damaturu. Confirming the development yesterday, the command’s spokesperson, DSP Dungus Abdulkarim, said the suspects: Ibrahim Mohammed, Hassan Umar and Ali Yakubu were arrested on June 27, after they connived and broke into a shop in the metropolis, which the owner had engaged them to guard.

He said they would be charged with criminal conspiracy, house trespass, burglary, receiving and trading in stolen property. Abdulkarim noted that there were several complaints about untoward behaviour of vigilante members, prompting the state Commissioner of Police, Garba Ahmed, to call for a review of their registration.

He said: “In view of their important role of complementing security agencies in the fight against crime and criminality, this development is sad and unfortunate.

“There have been a series of complaints of untoward actions by some of those outfit members.”

Abdulkarim stressed that the command was developing a strategic plan for proper documentation and supervision of vigilante activities by Divisional Police Officers (DPOs).

He advised the public to be vigilant while engaging personal security guards and report criminal elements within the group to the police.
He also called on the public to report erring security personnel to the state police headquarters or write a complaint to the commissioner through the spokesperson.

Also, operatives of Lagos Police Command, yesterday, arrested a suspected armed robber in the Idimu area of the state. The command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, who confirmed the arrest in a post he shared on his X handle yesterday, said the suspect was arrested during a patrol of the Idimu area.

According to him, officers from Idimu Division arrested the suspect at about 3:00 a.m. at Pipeline Street, Idimu, Lagos.

“When searched, one locally made pistol and one live cartridge were recovered. Investigation is ongoing on the matter,” he added.