THE ACTIVITIES OF VIGILANTE GROUPS:A Study of Magume Community of Zaria Local Government Area

Introduction

In every society the world over, one of the cardinal functions of the state is to maintain law and order, and these are usually achieved through the myriad of security agencies and the legal system available. However, owing to the inability of the Nigerian state, and by extension Local Governments, to adequately perform these functions, inhabitants of urban centers nationwide have taken it upon themselves to provide such services.

Thus, in this paper, it shall be our burden to examine the activities of Vigilante groups in Nigeria, Zaria in particular, using Magume community as a case study .i.e. their origin, rules and regulation, as well as the community’s perception of their activities.

Methodology

In an attempt to capture the true nature of our subject of study we have used both primary and secondary sources. In terms of primary sources, we had a series of seventeen interviews with members of the vigilante outfit and members of the community as well as the Community Head of Magume. For secondary sources, owing to the dearth of literature on the activities of vigilante groups, we have resorted to web searches from the internet. The secondary sources served the purpose of a theoretical basis, while the primary source examine what is obtainable in reality.

Theoretical Framework

Vigilantism as a phenomenon is not a recent development. According to the Encyclopedia Wikipedia, Vigilantism has existed long before the word vigilante was introduced into the English language....Vigilantism in literature, folklore and legend is deeply connected to the fundamental issues of morality, the nature of justice, the limits of bureaucratic authority and the ethical function of legitimate governance.1
The term ‘vigilante’ has been given different definitions and connotations, as many as there are dictionaries to examine it. The Oxford Advance Learners Dictionary define the term as, a member of a group of people who try to prevent crime and punish criminals, especially because they think the police are not doing this.2
The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines the term as, a member of a volunteer committee organized to suppress and punish crime summarily (as when the processes of law are viewed as inadequate); broadly: a self-appointed doer of justice.3
"Vigilante justice" is sometimes spurred on by the perception that criminal punishment is insufficient or nonexistent to the crime. Some people see their governments as ineffective in enforcing the law; thus, such individuals fulfill the like-minded wishes of the community. In other instances, a person may choose a role of vigilante as a result of personal experience as opposed to a social demand.
Persons seen as escaping from the law, or "above the law" are sometimes the targets of vigilantism. It may target persons or organizations involved in illegal activities in general or it may be aimed against a specific group or type of activity, e.g. police corruption. 4

The Community

Magume community of Zaria Local Government Area is located directly behind Nuhu Bamali polytechnic [the Kaduna state owned polytechnic]. It is a relatively small community with a population of about 2500 to 3000 inhabitants.5
The community is predominantly inhabited by a mixture of students of the Polytechnic and some natives of Zaria.
Magume is headed by a community head, Alhaji Abdulahi, known as the mai angwa, who serve as the traditional ruler of the community, and he is being assisted by other elders of the community in ensuring law and order as well as a peaceful coexistence between members of the community
In terms of occupation, the natives are predominantly farmers, traders, bus drivers, okada riders and other vocation that fall within the informal sector.
The community has four gates, strategically located such that there are gates at the north-east and the north-west ends as well as one gate each for the east and west ends. These gates were erected out of the people’s call for increased security in the area owing to threats to their lives and property by hoodlums and thieves.

The Association

The vigilante group goes by the name Magume Vigilante Group (MVG) established in 2001. Although there have been several efforts in the past to form a similar outfit, such efforts had failed owing to lack of commitment by the founders and the questionable character of the members.
The formation of MVG was borne out of the series of complains from students about their houses being burgled by criminals. In response to these complaints the Community Head called for a meeting of all landlords in the area. There it was agreed that some able bodied young men be selected to form a strong and viable neighborhood security outfit.
MVG is a voluntary association, thus members are not entitled to salaries or any form of compensation. Members are gainfully employed in the informal sector with their occupation ranging from traders, drivers, bike riders, mechanics, welders etc. Their per capita earnings per day is put at N800.
The age bracket of members ranges from 18-35. In terms of educational qualification, two of the official members are holders of National Diploma from Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic, while other members are secondary school leavers and primary school leavers. There are no illiterate in the association.
Most of the members are married with only a very few, mostly the unofficial members, being unmarried. Family support for education is privately done as there are no provisions for such in the association. However in times of financial needs for marriage, birth of baby, or death of a relation, members contribute a common pool to be given to the celebrant or bereaved as a gift.
There are no female members in the association, although members hope some day they will have one, because (according to them) the services of women are required in the association.
MVG is registered and recognized with Zaria Local Government, the police and other relevant authorities within the local government. In fact, ID cards of members carry the signatures of the District Head and the DPO of police of Gaskiya area. The association’s chairman is a member of the Peace and Security Committee of the Local Government. The association does not pay tax as a group because of the nature of service it provides and its status with the authorities. However, members pay their taxes individually.

The Rules

In terms of admittance, applicants are selected, interviewed and screened for good character before they are admitted, and the minimum age is 18 years.
The association has fifteen official members (ID card carrying members) and twenty five unofficial members (non-ID card carrying members). The unofficial members assist the official members in manning the gate at night but are not responsible for any mishap while on duty; the official member assumes responsibility of the unofficial member’s conduct.
Each of the community’s gates is manned by one official and three unofficial members. The gates are locked everyday at 12 am and opened at 4:30 am and persons returning home after this time are asked to identify themselves before they are allowed in. In a case where such person does not have an ID, he/she must be recognized by at least one guard’s man on duty or they are not allowed access to the community till the next day. This is an attempt to control the movement of people going in and out of the community at night and this is very important as most criminal activities are executed at night save for petty thieves and hoodlums that perpetrate their activities in day time.
Criminals or suspected persons are apprehended and handed over to the police for prosecution, and in case of an emergency the police are invited to take over. The association has made it a principle not to resort to summary or jungle justice. It always follows laid down procedures for dealing with criminals.
Based on the provisions of the constitution, Officials are elected biennially. The electorate comprise of MVG members, the community Head, and elders of the community. The procedure for election of officials is that the community head and elders nominate candidates for position and the electorate votes. Candidates win on a simple majority count.
The constitution provides for the following offices:
• The Chairman
• The Vice Chairman
• Secretary General
• The Treasurer
• The Auditor
At present the above positions are held by Kabir Salihu, Tukur Suleiman, Suleiman Sale, Alhaji Shehu Maitaba, and Alhaji Nuhu Magume respectively.
The chairman is the chief executive and is being assisted by the vice chairman. The secretary keeps records of the association, while the treasurer maintains the account books. The auditor serves as check on the treasurer.

Community Perception of MVG

Members of Magume community appreciate the efforts of the association. Owing to the fact that the community is inhabited by mostly students of the Polytechnic, during Student Union Government (SUG) elections, the association is invited by the school authority to monitor elections and maintain law and order.
The association also have a very cordial relationship with the police. All officials have direct contact with the DPO of police. The police respond to distress calls from the association as promptly as possible.
The Rector of the Polytechnic, as a sign of solidarity, donates N10,000.00 to the association every month. Also, some well to do members of the community make donations for the upkeep of the association. These serve as the basic source of finance for the association.

The Problems

Some of the problems faced by the association are that of uncooperative attitude from some students resident in the area and their friends. These students do not respect members of the association because of the issue of familiarity. And this is directly connected to the fact that MVG members do not have uniforms to give them the semblance of a security outfit.
Another problem, lamented by members of the association, is that of impersonation. Once upon a time, some persons impersonated as MVG members and raped a female student in her house. Although these persons were apprehended and immediately handed over to the police for prosecution, they were later seen roaming the streets because their parents had bribed the police for their release.
The issue of finance is another major problem combating the association. The level of finance available to the association cannot cater for their logistical needs such as touch lights and batteries, log books for report writing, telecommunication gadgets as well as a patrol van for effective coverage of the area.

Recommendations

Based on the above findings we suggest the following recommendations;
1. The issue of official and unofficial membership should be abolished as this is an avenue for potential perpetrators to operate under the guise of the association. All members should be made official and given proper ID.
2. MVG should be given uniforms so that their status in society is elevated to that of a security organization. This will help in addressing the issue of disrespect and uncooperative attitude from members of the community.
3. The police should be more responsive and responsible with regards to cases referred to them. By letting go apprehended suspect, they frustrate the efforts of the Vigilantes. Thus, justice should be served to guilty persons so as to serve as a deterrent for future defaulters and make the job of the Vigilantes much easier and worth the while.
4. Government, NGOs and donor agencies should get involved in the activities of Vigilantes for the purpose of soft-funding and guidance in the form of light training for some basic etiquette.
5. There should also be provided, a social welfare system for the children of the vigilantes to cater for their educational and health needs. This will serve as an incentive to encourage vigilante efforts in communities.
6. The status of vigilante groups should be elevated by way of citizen education. This will address the issue citizens’ wrong perception of vigilantism and in effect encourage wider community participation in safeguarding life and property in the community and society in general.

Conclusion

Thus far, we have examine the origin and nature of Magume Vigilante Group as a basis of establishing that Vigilantism is a response to local needs owing to the insufficiency of the regular security arrangement. Even the fallacious assumption, that those who participate in vigilantism are usually unemployed, have been proven wrong as members of MVG, and by extension other similar outfits, are gainfully employed; though in the informal sector.
However we wish to stress here that the activities of Vigilantes should be closely watched by the authorities so as to prevent their metamorphosis into militias, terrorist or even rebels. The larger these kind of groups grow the more tendency for them to become problematic to society, especially when they are being lead by extremists. The cases of the OPC and the Bakasi Boys are living testimonies of this.
Still, such efforts should be encouraged for a safer society.

References:
1. “Vigilante”, Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia, "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vigilante"3 August 2008
2. Oxford advance Leraners Dictionary 2000

3. "Vigilante." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2008,
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vigilante, August 7, 2008.
4. “Vigilante”, Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia, ibid.