The leadership of Eleme Local Government Council and the police authorities have commenced the profiling of all members of the various community vigilante groups in the local government area, as a means of ensuring that only persons with credible and impeccable character take part in efforts to boost community policing in the area.
Speaking to The Tide, recently, in Eleme during a meeting convened by the Executive Chairman of Eleme the LGA, Barrister Philip Okparaji, noted that it was high time the LGA chairman proper profiling of members of the vigilante in each community was done so that everyone would know that it was no longer business as usual and take responsibility for the security and safety of the people.
Okparaji explained that a template for the effective operation of the Eleme Vigilante had been put in place to strengthen community policing, adding that the profiling of all members was necessary to ensure that persons of questionable character or criminal antecedents were weeded out as measures to effectively police the community and combat criminality at the grassroots.
He added that all wards without standing vigilantes must cooperate and develop a list of credible persons to provide support security services for their communities or be ready to mortgage the security of their communities to the men of Vigilantes Association of Nigeria (VAN).
The Eleme council boss called on the people to support the government and cooperate with the initiative, saying: “The security of Eleme is a collective duty, and all efforts must be put together in ensuring success. I have resolved not to compromise the safety of property and lives of all Eleme indigenes and residents, and by God’s grace, we all shall succeed in ensuring that peace continues to rein in the area.”
Also speaking, the Commander of Eleme Area Command of the Nigerian Police Force, ACP Martins Nwogoh charged Eleme people to unite in ensuring that all efforts taken to tackle crime and insecurity succeeded in the LGA.
Nwogoh thanked the Eleme youths, leaders and stakeholders for their support and encouragement since his deployment to the area, saying, “The wards must work together in providing ample support to the police through the community policing initiative beginning with the provision of credible persons, who reflect the true spirit of the community devoid of political and traditional coloration.”

Susan Serekara-Nwikhana