How we’re checkmating, Ebubeagu, Amotekun, other state-owned security outfits — IGP

The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, says the activities of Ebubeagu and other state-owned security outfits are being regulated by the police.

Mr Baba stated this on Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, while featuring in the 57th session of State House Briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team.

Some regional security outfits set up by state governors have at different times been accused of torture and killings in their areas of operation.

Notable among the security outfits are Amotekun set up by the governors of the South-west and Ebubeagu floated by the South-east governors.

Mr Baba cautioned politicians to shun violence and abide by extant rules and agreements on peaceful conduct of campaigns ahead of the 2023 elections.

He said: “The issue of violence in our politics; it takes two to tango; there are laid down procedures to do rallies and campaigns.

“On our part, we have gone out to appeal to politicians to play the game by the rules; and at the same time, allow us to regulate political campaigns, processions and rallies to avoid clashes and so forth.

“The three things which Civil Society Organisations have spoken about—involvement of security outfits; I think I have even made announcements and pronouncements before their letter.

“On the day the peace accord was signed by the political parties, I reiterated and observed that we have not less than 64 security outfits that were created by state governors in different names for different purposes.’’

The IGP said the scope of crime prevention was wide hence everybody was being encouraged to join in community policing.

He said the state-owned security outfits had been created to curb crime and criminality as states had been told not to use the outfits for political reasons.

“Ebubuagu in Ebonyi, we have on many occasions, checked their highhandedness by arresting and investigating those who have actually gone out of their way to commit crime and we have charged them to court.

“If we can charge our personnel for highhandedness and other activities, there is nobody who is going to be exempted.

“If there is any specific case that the police have not gone into concerning those outfits, you mention it; but to the best of our knowledge, theory and practice may differ,” Mr Baba said.

According to the IGP, the outfits should avoid being influenced by either primordial loyalty, inducement or other things in discharging their duties.

He warned that officers of the outfits who derail from their legal duties would be prosecuted.

“Some people go out of their way to do the wrong thing and they will be charged.

“And that is why, if these outfits are created by the governors, we are invited to educate them on the extent of their engagement in crime prevention and control.

“We are checking them; they are also good, bad and ugly; they have their good sides. That is why they needed to be checkmated and we are doing that,’’ he said.

(NAN)