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.
A video on social media has shown moments when some operatives of the Hope Security Vanguard in Obowo 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.”
Meanwhile, an X user, @duso4me, who posted the video said that the suspects were rounded up and arrested on April 1, while they were swimming in their village river.
Breaking News: 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… pic.twitter.com/ygROzdrjKJ
— Aibidakihc (@duso4me) April 4, 2024
The X user said, “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 command.
“Our government has to stop criminalizing the youths of this country? Nigerian youths are among the most hardworking and vulnerable in the world.”
SaharaReporters' efforts to confirm the incident from the Imo State Police Command and to find out if the arrested young men and women are truly criminals, kidnappers, drug dealers and prostitutes as claimed by the vigilante operatives failed.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the State, Henry Okoye did not answer calls made to his phone number nor respond to a message as of the time of filing this report.