By Evelyn Usman & Victor Arjiromnus

A member of the Vigilante group of Nigeria, VGN, Adekoya Adeniyi, (40), has been arrested following the discovery of three firearms and accoutrement suspected to belonging to the Police, in his apartment.

police

He was arrested alongside one Elliot Oluwaseyi,(44), who he alleged gave him the recovered items and a Community Development Association, CDA, Secretary in Ikorodu,Bisiriyu Razak, who contracted his services.

The arrest of the trio according to the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, Imohimi Edgal, followed complaint received by the Human Right desk of the command that Adeniyi obtained money under false pretenses.

In the course of investigation, he said Adeniyi’s apartment was searched, during which the illegal firearms, radio devices and other items were recovered

Expressing disappointment, Edgal asked: “How did they get the four radio and the Police belt? Who programmed the radio for them?”

Where did they get the firearms with them? All vigilante groups and private individuals were directed by the Inspector-General of Police to return firearms in their possession. Why do they still have them? What were they doing with handcuffs? The suspects will definitely have their day in court”.

But when approached, Adeniyi stated that the uniform found in his apartment was given to him by his organisation.

He said : “ I did not procure these uniforms myself. We got them from our organisation, VGN. This is our mode of dressing. We bought these shirts at Police College when we went for training in 2015.The head of our organisation is aware of this case and he is working on it already. I have never used these arms for crime or to kill anyone before.

“We only use them for security purposes because of the environment we live in. Terrible things happen in Ikorodu every day. Many people in my community know me”.

On his part, the CDA secretary, Razak, said “ I have been living in that community since 1983. We employed the services of the VGN and they gave us two persons to work with us in our community. We pay them N20,000 monthly. We told them we could not not afford to give them guns but gave them whistles, cutlasses and phones.