By Stanley Nwanosike
Enugu – The Enugu State Government has directed the various vigilance groups in the state to always hand over apprehended suspects to Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) in-charge of their areas of jurisdiction.
Mr Obinna Mbaeke, the state’s Commissioner for Human Capital Development and Poverty Reduction, gave the directive while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Enugu.
Mbaeke said that the directive became necessary to streamline the activities of the neighbourhood watch groups to conform with the dictates of community policing.
“It is important for members of the neighbourhood watch groups to know their boundary and limit even as they enforce the law and secure their neighbourhoods.
“Nobody should be arrested or apprehended and kept in any custody other than a police station.
“All neighbourhood watch groups must arrest or apprehend and hand over the suspect and evidence attached to his or her alleged crime to the DPO in-charge of their area.
“Anything beyond this is illegal and the government will not fail to deal with any group or member who does not comply,’’ he said.
The commissioner said that the government had also warned the groups against human rights abuses.
“We have lectured them severally on being polite but firm in the discharge of their duties and to work within their mandate,’’ he said.
Mbaeke assured that with new reforms and close monitoring of activities of the groups the state would be the best community policing practicing state in the country. (NAN)