Arm vigilantes pending state police, Clarion Chukwurah tells Tinubu

Veteran Nollywood actress, Clarion Chukwurah, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to adopt immediate interim security measures to tackle rising insecurity while the proposed state police structure is being established.

In an open letter shared on her Instagram page on Wednesday, Chukwurah commended the President for facilitating the creation of state police, describing the initiative as a step in the right direction.

“I applaud the fact that you once became a fugitive on behalf of democracy in Nigeria and your recent move to facilitate the creation of state police to combat insecurity in our country,” she wrote.

The actress, however, noted that the process of establishing and fully deploying state police across the country, particularly in rural communities, could take between one and two years, while insecurity demands immediate intervention.

She wrote, “Sir, we know the process that will lead to its actual full-scale operations in every state will take at least one to two years, especially in extending its operations into the villages in the rural states where the activities of kidnappers are overwhelming and require immediate urgent solution.”

According to the actress, insecurity and poverty remain major obstacles to national development, adding that the government’s efforts were being undermined by political pressures, corruption and mass unemployment.

“Sadly, your government is facing internal political pressure, external political interference and its own corrupt, dispassionate and shadow-boxing ideas on the issue of combating widespread poverty due to mass unemployment, which is mostly responsible for growing crime in Nigeria,” shs said.

She argued that many Nigerians living in poverty do not understand the challenges confronting the administration and often view the government as the enemy.

“Sir, the average Nigerian living in poverty does not believe that you are not the enemy, or understand that there are challenges your government has to face. This is why I have chosen to make this plea because there cannot be any meaningful progress in the current state of Nigeria crippled by insecurity and poverty from the present economic crisis, no matter how well-meaning your intentions are,” she added.

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Chukwurah urged the President to channel part of the National Security Emergency Intervention Fund towards strengthening community self-defence through armed vigilante groups.

“Mr President, please direct the use of a part of the billions of the National Security Emergency Intervention Fund to support community self-defence through vigilantes who are given the capacity to bear arms and protect their communities,” she advised.

The actress condemned the abduction of children, describing kidnappers as “cowards” for holding minors captive under harsh conditions in forests.

“We know that only cowards kidnap children for money, and keep a two-year-old child in captivity in the forest to endure rainfall, poor nutrition, heat and mosquitoes,” she said.

She further alleged that kidnapping had flourished because kidnappers, neighbourhood informants and some “complicit police officers” knew victims were often defenseless.

The actress said, “Kidnapping has thrived in Nigeria because the kidnappers, neighbourhood informants and complicit police officers know that the victims are powerless and helpless.”

She also called for government support to enable schools employ armed security personnel to protect pupils, teachers and other staff members from attacks.

“Mr President, by enabling this immediate line of defence for every community before state police become fully operational, especially the massive population of unemployed poor, and assistance to schools to employ armed security men to defend the lives of children and teachers, you will replace the face of indifference on your leadership with that of compassion,” she concluded.