Police employ charms-wearing vigilante groups to secure police stations in Rivers State.
As fears over possible attacks on police stations in different parts of South East and South-South continue to rise, and with police officers becoming jittery to confront the attacks heads on, some divisional police officers in Rivers State have employed vigilante groups like OSPAC to provide security for their stations.
It was gathered that police stations in Rumuji and Ibaa all in Emohua Local Government Area and divisional police station in Ahoada Town are now guarded at night by charm-wearing OSPAC operatives.
An OSPAC commander in Elele-Alimini who identified himself simply as Chiagi confirmed the development.
He said their men currently provide security for police stations in the area since the advent of the unknown gunmen who have been attacking and burning police stations in parts of the South East and South-South.
He listed the police stations guarded by his to include the Ahoada town police station, Rumuji police station and stations in Omoku, Ibaa and Obagi.
Asked if they’re paid by the police for such responsibility, Chiagi said that the police do not pay. He said that OSPAC took the initiative due to current trends which have put police officers in harms’ way.
But confirming the development, a police officer who spoke on the conditions of anonymity said the vigilante group was employed to guard stations as police officers are constantly on the move to enforce the night-time curfew imposed by Governor Nyesom Wike.
The police Inspector said the guarding of the stations by the vigilante is a temporary measure to secure the facilities against hoodlums who might take the opportunity of the absence of officers to attack the stations.
