The Role of Vigilante Groups in Community Policing as a Strategy for Security Enhancement

By: Amb. Benedict Kanu

Ed. 241 || 19.08.2026

In every community, supporting policing units such as vigilantes is needed to stir progress. A few years back, a friend of mine who had his business outlet in the Federal Capital Territory was raided, and goods worth millions of naira were stolen. The Nigerian Police Force was contacted, and they swung into action to apprehend the criminals. However, the community’s vigilante group was contacted, and they equally swung into action. 

Shockingly, within three days, they apprehended the perpetrators of the crime. Worthy of note is the approach that was utilised. As community security, they already knew the youths terrorising the community, so when they confirmed their suspicions, they went to the houses of the criminals to pick them up one after the other. The criminals were arrested and handed over to the Nigerian Police Force. 

The above experience brings to bear the security challenges faced by numerous communities today. The increase in robbery, violence, terrorism, banditry and other forms of crime has shown that relying on conventional security institutions may not be enough; thus, there is a need for collaboration and partnership between security agencies and communities via vigilante groups to ensure the safety of lives and property.  

Hence, in this article, we shall be looking at Vigilante groups and how they can enhance the safety of lives and property.

The word “Vigilante” originated from the Spanish word for watchman; it is a civilian or an organisation that acts in a law enforcement capacity or in the pursuit of self-perceived justice without legal authority (n.d). According to Akinlabi et Ihemeje (2021), Community Vigilante Groups refer to different groups of people who take up arms to protect themselves, their families and their communities when they feel the absence of the security presence of the government. It is a term used to describe an unofficial security outfit of a community that provides security and safety to its members

However, Oyagi (2016)  asserts that “they are groups of people who carry armaments to protect themselves and their community when they feel that the government has failed to do so.” Additionally, Newby (2012) opined that vigilantes are followers of volunteer groups structured to conquer and penalise criminality instantly, once the procedures of the law are realised to be insufficient. 

Furthermore, Oyabi (2016), in Udoh (2025), posits that vigilantes refer to groups of individuals who arm themselves to safeguard their families and communities in response to perceived deficiencies in governmental security presence. They are collectives of individuals who own weaponry to safeguard themselves and their society when they perceive governmental failure in this regard. Thus, Udoh asserts that in Nigeria, vigilante service organisations have been largely recognised for their different degrees of success.

The important role Vigilante group performs can not be overemphasised. To buttress the above assertion, the International Crisis Group, in their article titled Managing Vigilantism in Nigeria: A Near-term Necessity (2022), posits that Vigilante organisations undoubtedly offer important services: supporting the military’s counter-insurgency efforts in the North East, fending off bandits in the North West and North Central zones and helping police fight crime countrywide. In the North East, particularly in Borno state, the Civilian Joint Task Force has won praise for helping the army battle jihadist insurgents, notably from former President Goodluck Jonathan and Borno state governor Babagana Zulum.  

In Adamawa state, hunters played a major part in blocking Boko Haram’s advance in 2013 and taking back the cities of Gombi and Mubi that had fallen to the militants. In the North West, many yan sakai have helped curb the atrocities of deadly criminal gangs.  In the South West, governors and citizens have hailed the two-year-old Amotekun as having reduced crime, especially kidnapping for ransom by gangs based in the vast forests. Thus, they believe that citizens and state governments generally say the groups have been of immense assistance to federal security agencies, often due to their knowledge of the terrain. 

Vigilantes have been particularly useful in areas without federal police. Even where police are present, they gather intelligence, alert residents to security risks, arrest criminal suspects, help regulate traffic and settle disputes. Working to protect their neighbours and kin, they are sometimes more proactive or responsive than the overstretched and ill-equipped police. 

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In some places, vigilante groups are appreciated because they can deliver immediate results where the police are inefficient, the courts are slow, and impunity reigns. Furthermore, since the vigilantes are usually locals, residents often view them more favourably than the police, whom they often see as an alien force, and are therefore more willing to cooperate with them.

The experience highlighted at the beginning of this article showcases the reality faced by individuals and communities alike. Although it is the responsibility of the Nigerian Police Force and other security institutions to confront security challenges, the increasing need for security management calls for collaborative efforts with different communities via vigilante groups. Community policing via Vigilante groups because vigilante groups provide an avenue for enhancing security by utilising local knowledge, intelligence gathering, and rapid response mechanisms.

References

Akinlabi, K. L., & Ihemeje, G. C. (2021). Role of vigilante groups in crime prevention and control in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. Ife Social Sciences Review, 29(2), 89–105. issr.oauife.edu.ng 

International Crisis Group. (2022, April 21). Managing vigilantism in Nigeria: A near-term necessity (Africa Report No. 308). https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/west-africa/nigeria/308-managing-vigilantism-nigeria-near-term-necessity 

The role of vigilante groups in security management in Enugu Town, Nigeria. (n.d.). NairaProject. https://nairaproject.com/projects/5650-the-role-of-vigilante-groups-in-security-management-in-enugu-town-nigeria.html 

Udoh, E. R. (2025). Vigilante groups and crime prevention and control in Nigeria: A study in functional analysis. Socialscientia: Journal of the Social Sciences and Humanities, 10(2). journals.aphriapub.com

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