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Vigilante Groups and Internal Security Management in Akwa Ibom State: A Study of Ibom Community Watch

Edemekong, Metoiyo Nkereuwem

Abstract

The provision of security and well-being of the citizens of the nation is a primary function of every Governments all over the world through the use of instruments of state power, including defense and security agencies, backed-up by enabling laws. For instance, the 1999 Nigerian constitution outlines the role of government and relationship among levels of government in security management. Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria as a whole had suffered a myriad of internal security challenges namely; kidnappings and hostage takings, murder, assassinations, armed robberies, cult-related criminal activities and subversion. While Numbers of studies have explored vigilante groups and internal security management in Nigeria few have focused on examining the phenomenon in Akwa Ibom State. To fill the gap this paper assesses vigilante groups and internal security management in Akwa Ibom State using the Ibom Community Watch as a unit of analysis. This study adopted the historical, descriptive and survey designs with the application of data generated from the interview and documentary sources. The study revealed the significant effect of the Ibom Community Watch on the provision of security information to government security agencies, safety of public facilities and the security of waterways in Akwa Ibom State. The study recommended amongst others, that the Nigerian Police Force should organize more in-house workshops and training of police officers to ensure that the police are properly educated on the value of partnering with the community, and that, there is need for adoption of problem-solving approach to tackling crime through public participation and teamwork where the members of the community are involved in security decision-making so as to elicit confidence from the process and also that the implementation of community policing programme should be beyond mere rhetoric. Therefore, the government should allocate more funds and resources

Keywords

Vigilante groupsInternal SecurityManagementIbom Community Watch (ICW)

References

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