Like Brazilian street gangs, vigilantes help enforce Plateau lockdown

With most of the world in lockdown, unconventional law enforcements have been playing prominent roles in ensuring compliance. In Plateau State, the vigilante groups formed to help maintain order during incessant riots in the state have been helping in enforcing the lockdown in the volatile state where security personal are already overstretched, as our correspondent […]

With most of the world in lockdown, unconventional law enforcements have been playing prominent roles in ensuring compliance. In Plateau State, the vigilante groups formed to help maintain order during incessant riots in the state have been helping in enforcing the lockdown in the volatile state where security personal are already overstretched, as our correspondent reports.

 

The COVID-19 outbreak has seen the rise of unconventional authorities and groups trying to ensure the wellbeing of their communities. In Brazilian favelas, notorious drug gangs took responsibility for enforcing lockdown in their territories even when the government was reluctant to enforce one. In Italy, reports have emerged of the mafia distributing food to the needy and offering interest-free loans to people in need of money.

The six-day lockdown imposed on Plateau State last week Friday by the state government to disinfect key locations in the state, has seen local vigilante groups enforcing compliance in Jos, the state capital.

“We are asked to fully participate in the exercise by government because we know our various communities more than security personnel. Beyond that, members of volunteer groups like the vigilante and neighbourhood watch groups know most of the notorious people in their communities and we believe that they fear us more than the security operatives,” a member of neighbourhood watch told Daily Trust.

The community-based vigilantes came about as a result of the incessant crisis in the state since 2001 to compliment the overstretched security personnel. The groups, comprising of hunters and volunteers have now morphed from neighbourhood watch to controlling traffic during festive periods and dealing with local criminal elements and civic disputes. During this lockdown, they have been crucial in trying to keep the state safe by ensuring total compliance.

“The government doesn’t have the manpower to cordon all the major highways and streets within the state capital and other local government areas,” another vigilante member said. “For this reason vis-a-vis our close relationship with the communities, the government considered it necessary that our participation will help immeasurably to ensure compliance of the exercise.”

The volatile nature of certain communities within the city means that the police and military would have struggled to keep people indoors. This much was confirmed to Daily Trust by a police officer.

“The government, considering the insufficient manpower to successfully carryout the exercise deemed it necessary to seek the cooperation of the volunteer groups particularly vigilantes and neighbourhoods watch who have bases in virtually all communities due to the recurring ethno-religious conflicts,” he said.

However, the local vigilantes, trusted by these communities and knowing the communities very well, have been far more effective in maintaining the lockdown, as our correspondent observed.

Their presence was evident as our correspondent went round Riyom, Jos South and Jos North and saw how members of the volunteer groups were stationed at major highways and streets to facilitate conduct of the exercise, ensuring that markets and shops are closed during the period.

But residents have also been compliant with the directive to stay home as Peter Arewa told our correspondent.

“People on their own have agreed to stay indoors to help government fight the spread of coronavirus. But the presence of volunteer groups like the vigilante have indeed assisted the government to achieve the lockdown order,” Arewa, a resident of Laminga, said.

The success of the lockdown so far is not only down to the vigilantes as religious groups, according to Ibrahim Adam, another resident, have played a part in ensuring compliance and awareness about the pandemic.

“Because the whole thing involves health, people value their health more than anything and therefore must remain indoors,” he said.

However, it is not clear that despite government’s request for assistance from the vigilantes if it has any plans to compensate them for their services.

“All we know is we were mobilised by various commanders of various volunteer groups. We were not told whether we would be paid or rewarded for the work we are doing. What is surprising is that no government official has so far assisted us with either drinking water or food. But there are a few good Nigerians from communities who assist with food and water. We can’t rule it out because those who are on duty have been asked to submit their names to their various commanders,” a member of anti-sarasuka team on duty said.

Traditionally, the groups have only received attention from government when their services are required, otherwise they operate without any kind of assistance. However, the success of their operations so far in the state in ensuring compliance with the lockdown cannot be overemphasized as compliance levels in Plateau seems to surpass those in Lagos, Ogun, Kaduna and Abuja.

 

Tough times during lockdown

What has become glaring during the first few days of the lockdown is the lack of food and water, which are major concerns in some communities.

Some of the residents in Jos North who spoke to Daily Trust said the lockdown resulted in increase in prices of goods and services.

Children were seen in some communities searching for food and water. However, the lockdown has been described as necessary by the state Commissioner of Information and Communications, Dan Manjang, because it is the best way to contain the spread of the pandemic.

“The lockdown was not peculiar to Plateau but a global phenomenon,” he said. The government also insists that the measure is only temporary and called on people to ensure they comply with the directives.

The longer the lockdown stretches, the more challenging the job will become for the vigilantes. But for now they are holding the fort and they may just be the unsung heroes if Plateau State scales through the pandemic.