From Joshua Chibuzo Andrew
In a desperate bid to please the Imo State Governor, a video on social media has shown moments when some operatives of the Hope Security Vanguard in Obowo Local Government Area of Imo State in the South East region of Nigeria forced several young men and women to lay down on bare ground.
The vigilante operatives who said that some of the young men and women were arrested while from a river in the area profiled them as criminals, kidnappers, drug dealers, smokers and prostitutes.
One of the vigilante operatives who spoke in the video said, “Those we caught inside the water, criminals. Some of them are kidnappers here, prostitution, drug smokers and drug dealers are all here.
“Since afternoon we have been here. Our men followed them front and back to get this number. We are videoing them to send to the state government for them to see that the Hope Security Vanguard in Obowo Command are not sleeping.
“We must deliver. We use this opportunity to thank our state commander.”
A source said that the suspects were rounded up and arrested on April 1, while they were swimming in their village river.
“These Obowo (Imo State) young men/women were swimming in their village river on the 1st of April, when these untrained local vigilantes seeking to impress the governor of Imo state, rounded them up, tagged them criminals and matched them to the state police
“Our government has to stop criminalizing the youths of this country? Nigerian youths are among the most hardworking and vulnerable in the world.”
As at the press time, the police public relations officer of Imo State command, ASP Henry Okoye is yet to confirm the news.
