Pro-Government Militias

Pro-Government Militia Website

Edo State Vigilante (Nigeria)

Basic Group Information

Name assigned by coder: no
PGM ID Number: 409
Country: Nigeria
Date formed: Sept. 15, 2000
    Accuracy of date formed: month
Details of Formation: The group was set up in September 2000 to help the police combat crime. In 2001 the group received legal backing from the Edo State House of Assembly and in 2002 additional local government council committees of neighborhood watch were set up.
Date dissolved: Unknown
    Accuracy of date dissolved: day
Details of Termination:
Termination Type(s): not terminated

Former and Successor Group Information

Predecessor group(s): none
Successor group(s): none
Private Military Company? no
Former Group? no information
    Former Armed Group? no information
Former Rebel Group? no information
    Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: none
PGM Becomes Rebel Group? no information
    Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: none

Government Relation, Support, and Training

Government Relation: semi-official (type 2)
Created by the Government?: yes
    Main Creating Government Institution: state (institution)
Government Link(s): sub-national government
    If link to party, name of party: None
Training and Equipment: no information
Shared Information and Joint Operations: yes
Shared Personnel: no information
Type(s) of Material Support: no information
State Sponsor(s): none
Other Connection(s):

Group Characteristics

Membership: no information
Primary Membership: local
Alternative Primary Membership: no information
Location: Edo state, Benin city
Force Strength: [unknown, unknown]
Target(s): criminals; unarmed political opposition, government critics; journalists
Purpose(s): protect property and investment; self-defense and security; anti crime

Ethnic Characteristics

Ethnic Target(s): none
    Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: not applicable
Ethnic Membership: none
    Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: not applicable
Ethnic Purpose: none
    Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: not applicable

Other Information

Other Information: A bill passed in December 2001 made this group constitutionally official. Also knowns as "Edo Peoples Congress". Other states in Nigeria may possess similar vigilante groups, but evidence on whether those groups are armed is missing: Delta State Vigilante Groups, Kaduna State Vigilante Group, Kano State Vigilante Group, Osun State Vigilante Group and Yobe State Vigilante Group (see evidences). See also similar federal state-sponsored State Vigilante Groups in the databank.

New Variables from Meta-Analysis

Purpose

Purpose: The militia was created as a neighborhood watch that combated crime, in joint operations with the police. According to the governor of Edo state, the militia’s presence has helped to reduce the crime rate in the state. Furthermore, the state government used the group to target political opposition, ahead of the 2003 elections.
Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use unknown

Treatment of Civilians

Treatment of Civilians: The militia has killed and attacked civilians under the pretext of fighting criminals.
Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: killing

Reasons for Membership

PGM Members Coerced? no information
PGM Members Paid? no information
Reasons for Membership: No information.
PGM Members Killed? no information

PGM Size

Size: No information.

Weapons and Training

Weapons and Training: No information.

Organisation

Organisation: In 2001, the Edo State Assembly passed a bill to set up the vigilante group, although there are already reports of its existence in 2000. In 2002, a local council committee was set up to monitor the militia. (Amnesty 2002, 5)

Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis

Amnesty International. 2002. “Nigeria: Vigilante violence in the south and south-east”. AI Index: AFR 44/014/2002.

Information was taken from news sources listed in the PGMD.

Evidence