Could Vigilantes Fighting Boko Haram Become Another Threat for Nigeria?

Boko Haram activity has increased recently. Again many people were kidnapped and murdered. If Nigerian Armed Forces cannot fight the terrorists, residents try to do it by themselves.

They are called vigilantes. They try to strike a blow against Boko Haram militants. In connection with these events, many people have a reasonable question. Indeed, their help in fighting against criminals cannot be overestimated. NAIJ Nigeria tries to figure out whether they can become another threat for Nigerians.

Presently, there are almost 26,500 vigilantes in Nigeria. They are gathering in groups to protect their homes and communities from Boko Haram Islamists’ constant attacks. Since 2009, due to continued rebellion, the north-eastern Nigeria has been completely devastated. It even spread to the territories of Nigeria`s neighbors—Niger, Chad, and Cameroon.

In 2013, the world first knew about the vigilantes when they defended the city of Maiduguri from Boko Haram killers. At that time, Nigerian army was in complete disorder. That is why locals could not allow their city to be destroyed.

Thus, young people in Maiduguri started to form some vigilante groups. They began to find, isolate, and kill Boko Haram criminals. By doing this, the youth showed they would not stand Boko Haram on their land.

The officers of the weak and poor Nigerian Armed Forces immediately realized the real value of additional human resources and knowledge about all local events and geography, which had the vigilantes. And the army and the vigilantes teamed up. Informally, the vigilantes are titled the Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF).

Official statistics say that over 650 vigilantes have already been murderу during the war against Boko Haram.

Who are they?

Here we have the mixed audience. Most of them are simply volunteers. These are civil servants, poor traders, and jobless youth. They never get a salary for their work. However, almost two thousand vigilantes used to have a kind of military training. So, now they receive some money from the government.

They serve at special checkpoints where they spot possible suicide bombers. They also help Nigerian soldiers to find the terrorists in the bush where militants have a shelter.

The vigilantes have the poorest arm one can ever imagine. They try to fight perfectly-armed militants with machetes, wooden clubs, and homemade rifles. The government is aware of this. However, it refuses to provide the vigilantes with real weapons because it might appear in the wrong hands.

In general, Nigerians consider the vigilantes to be heroes because they bravely fight against Boko Haram. However, some of them have already been accused of extortion and rape, as well as of extrajudicial murders of alleged criminals.

What do we have now?

Years of severe fighting have already passed. Now, there is an increasing concern that toughened vigilantes can become a serious armed force that the authorities will not be able to manage. Political experts say that the vigilantes now have the strongest sense of entitlement as ever. They are sure that they not only managed to protect Maiduguri, but they have fought a rebellion together with the Nigerian government.

The considerable part of the vigilantes wishes to join the Nigerian Army officially and receive a salary. Others want skills training, scholarships or grants to start their small businesses. And if the vigilantes` expectations are ignored, the government will have another big trouble.

Peace cannot be established without jobs

The chairman of Civilian JTF, Lawan Jaafar, is almost 40. He keeps on working as a cattle trader and a leather merchant when he does not lead his organization. He is a brave man and the real leader whom thousands of vigilantes respect.

At the beginning of 2017, the Nigerian security forces put Jaafar under arrest on suspicion of selling farm animals to Boko Haram terrorists. In a few weeks, the authorities released him. He was not even charged.

This case demonstrates what a powerful player in this region Lawan Jaafar. He asked the government to provide jobs to the vigilantes for several times already. He also begged to help families of those vigilantes who were killed while fighting Boko Haram. “Otherwise, Nigeria will continue experienced severe problems with kidnapping and armed robberies. The government must finally understand: if we have not any jobs, we shall do everything to feed families and survive,” concluded the chairman of Civilian JTF.

The courageousness of the vigilantes is unquestionable in the Nigerian north-east. They really help greatly in fighting Boko Haram. However, unless their sacrifices are recognized, they might end up present a new security danger.