Three members of a local vigilante group in the Diobu axis of Port Harcourt have been arrested by the Police in Rivers state for reportedly bearing firearms during the just concluded elections.
According to The Punch, a senior police officer at the Police headquarters confirmed the arrest of the suspects in a statement.
He said local security outfits were not authorised to bear arms.
“We have said repeatedly that vigilante groups are not regular policemen. They are not permitted or authorized by law to bear arms. Yes, they can make arrests and hand suspects over to the police. They are not to arrest, keep anybody in their custody or operate a cell,” he said.
“We heard they (vigilante members) were at a polling unit, but that has not been confirmed until investigations say otherwise,” he added.
