Exclusive: Community Youths ‘Seize Power’ From Police In Delta; Now ‘Arrest’, ‘Detain’ Residents

Indications have emerged that community youths in Delta state now usurp police and engage in ‘arrest’ and prosecution of cases within their communities.

BigPen Online investigation revealed that youths in gang-controlled area of Warri metropolis, particularly in Itsekiri and Urhobo speaking part of the oil city now arrest and detain people unhindered.

Investigations show that residents are now trapped between the notorious gangs and police whom in most case are helpless in rescuing victims from their stronghold.

Some residents of the oil city who spoke under condition of anonymity for fear of being victimize, said that they face serious threats at the hands of this notorious youths who engage in extortion, and unlawful detention of people who are either brought to them or they picked over civil matters that ought to be in hands of the police.

Source disclosed that many police station within the Warri metropolis have became incapacitated as a result of the development which is posing serious threat to policing of the metropolis.

A police source who spoke to BigPen Online revealed that youths in Ugborikoko, and Enerhen, Urhobo communities and Ugbague, a Itsekiri community are notorious for the ‘gang arrest and persecution’ of unsuspecting victims.

A resident who simply identified himself as Mene, said that (they) youths are doing the community policing but in a crude and notorious way ostensibly because they claim conventional police are also notorious for indiscriminate arrest and forced prosecution.

“The police are also major culprit in this “unlawful gang arrest” if I may described it that way. They round up poor youths and unsuspecting victims particularly in the night around 9:pm to 10:pm, throw them in the cell and start collecting bail ranging from N10,000 to N20,000 from victims.

“Now, the youths particularly in Itsekiri and Urhobo speaking communities have taken it upon themselves that no police arrest must take place in their land. In doing that, some unscrupulous ones among them rose to notoriety, they now have cells in their communities. They arrest innocent people, in age bracket of their own parents, sit them on bare floor in name of judging communal cases and at the end they extort huge sum of money from them.

“Some people now use this youths to witch hunt their perceived ‘enemies’ or business competitors. Once anyone report you to them, they invite you and if you fail to show up, they will send horde of youths after you threatening you, here and then to show up in their Secretariat or consider yourself a ‘refugee’ in the community. If you show up, they will demand about N13,000 to N15,000 as fees to attend to the matter, then you have to ‘bail’ yourself later.

“If you go to Enerhen Police Station you will see how ‘dry’ the place is now. The police are incapacitated there because the youth leader announced that they must not take any matter to the police. The story is the same in many Itsekiri communities. So they (youths) are now lords to themselves in these communities”.

The source said that if the youths were focusing on criminals it would have been a different ball game but their target are those into one developmental project or the other within their communities whom they extort, and collect ‘deve’ from.

“If you fail to settle them, they take you to their Secretariat and subject you to all manners of maltreatment until you pay for your freedom. You can imagine the impunity to which this youths do this thing. Sometimes they say it was the state Police Command that authorized them to do community policing but if this what community policing mean to them, then we are in serious trouble”.

BigPen Online gathered that beyond physical violence against victims of youth arrest and detention, there is widespread economic and social stigma against people from areas where this “notorious community gangs” have a robust presence.

BigPen Online could recalled how a similar development in the 90s, in which a youth leader simply identified as “Owiro” became so notorious for arrest and persecution of unsuspecting residents, led to the fratricide crisis between Oleh, headquarters of Isoko South and neighbouring Olomoro community where many were killed and properties worth millions of naira destroyed.

The development, if not curtail now is capable of posing grave threat to policing in the state, as many Police Division within Warri metropolis and its environs when confronted about the menace are reluctant to arrest the situation.

It was learnt that police in “B” Division and “A” in Warri are likely the only police stations which have succeeded in curtailing the excesses of the notorious youth leaders who operate detention cells within their communities.

When contacted to comment on this report, State Police Public Relation Officer, Mr. Andrew Aniamaka confirmed that community policing was already in practice in Delta state but dismissed claims that the youths have hijack operations of Nigeria Police Force in their domain.

He said that the police are working in synergy with community youths, traditional rulers and vigilante groups to raid the state of crimes but none of the groups or individuals are authorized to create cell and detain people.

“It is laughable to say youths have hijacked police powers in Delta state. What we have is community policing, youths, traditional rulers, vigilante groups are partners to our fight against crimes. They can arrest criminals and handover them to the police but creating cells and detaining innocent people is an impunity that we wouldn’t condone”.

Written by Joe Ogbodu

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