Prof. Godwin Aondohemba Vaasen of the Edo State University Uzairue has called for the use of ethnic militia movements as state police to complement the efforts of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF).
He made the call while delivering the university’s 9th inaugural lecture series at the Aliko Dangote Auditorium titled “Transforming Ethnic Militia Movement to State Police: Towards Combating the Security Challenges in Contemporary Nigeria.”
Godwin Aondohemba Vaasen, a professor of History and International Studies commended the police saying they are an indispensable part of our society who have been doing their best to maintain peace and security in Nigeria.
He however noted that despite their efforts, they (police) are still limited by certain factors in the performance of their duties hence, the call for the use of ethnic militia movement to complement their efforts.
“The positive attributes of these militia movements include their control of crime and their services as pressure groups for their communities are crucial for the attainment of peace if properly tackled and their use as state police force will go a long way as an antidote to the security challenges in Nigeria,” Prof. Vaasen said.
Prof. Vaasen, a former lecturer at the Nigerian Police Academy stated that due to the possibility that some state governments misusing state police to perhaps terrorize political opponents, said they should seek legal backing before their establishment and should screen out the bad eggs before being used as state police force.
He suggested that the establishment of the state police will increase the numerical strength of the Nigeria Police Force that is grossly inadequate because most of them are involved in other duties other than fighting crime which is their primary responsibility.
According to him, some ethnic militia movements were formed as a result of the rising tide of violent crimes in the country and the seeming inability of the police to control the situation and in response to the widespread increase of crime in different parts of the country, both local communities and state governments supported the formation of the vigilante groups to complement the operations of the Nigerian police.
“Since the police seemed to have become ineffective in the tackling of the security challenges especially in the fighting of crime, made people to lose confidence in their ability to effectively protect them against criminals,” he stated.
The professor further said that the militia groups are very familiar with the terrains of their various environments and may effectively be able to dislodge kidnappers and other criminals who may not be familiar with the environment.
Prof. Vaasen recommended that there should be an increased cooperation between members of the judiciary and the police to judiciously fight crime so as to take crime fighting to the grassroots level.
He said that the police in the performance of their duties go through a lot of risks, so the government should encourage them by giving them better welfare packages to boost their morale such as better salary, retirement benefits, other allowances, accommodation within barracks, and a better working environment.
Earlier in his address, the vice chancellor of the university, Prof. Emmanuel Aluyor expressed gratitude to the people for attending the university’s inaugural lecture saying that the inaugural lecture holds a special place within the academic community as they mark the beginning of a new era for both the lecturer and the university.
He said the university has a world-class ambition which is dedicated to providing a conducive environment for learning, fostering intellectual growth and nurturing young minds.
“We aim to produce graduates who are not only academically accomplished but also equipped with the skills and knowledge to drive positive changes in the society,” Prof Aluyor said.
While congratulating the inaugural lecturer for his well-thought-out topic said the issues addressed in the lecture are of utmost relevance to the current challenges facing the nation. According to him, the lecture highlighted practicable ways to address security concerns and transform them into opportunities for progress.
The VC reiterated the university’s commitment to support and promote research as the university will continue to provide the necessary resources, infrastructure and encourage scholars to excel in their pursuit of knowledge saying that it is through research and academic pursuits the university could transform into a hub of innovation and center of excellence.
