‘E dey pain me to see drug abusers, rapists and thugs for my area na why I join vigilante’

For nine years now Hadiza Tanko na pesin wey criminals for Hotoro area of Kano no dey like to see because dem know say dem go face wahala given her status as vigilante member for di area. She tell BBC Pidgin say for many years e dey pain her to see how drug abusers, rapists and thugs dey take over her area na wetin motivate her to join vigilante be dat so dat she go contribute her quota to ending di problems. “Anytime I see bad thing dey happun for my area, thuggery, drug abuse e dey pain me say nobody to intervene or take up di case na wetin motivate me to join vigilante be dat.” “Now anytime I see something wey no good dey happun I dey try intervene but if na something wey pass my power as an individual, I go report to our office for necessary action on di mata.” Vigilante dey involve in community policing and most times sabi dia local areas pass conventional security operatives like police and military. Vigilante for Nigeria na registered group wey get backing of Nigerian law and dia officers na from di communities dem dey operate in. 'Risky job' According to Hadiza plenty risks dey her line of work because criminals no like pesin wey im mission na to stop crime. She tok tori of how she almost suffer knife stabbing as a result of her work. “For dis work some pipo dey see am say we enter di work to target dem and no be so we just wan see beta society.” “E get one day I just dey waka and I sight two pipo by di side as I just dey near dem one of dem just comot knife and attack me, na so I just dodge, if not na my chest di knife for enter.” “Na so I run leave di place go report for our office, na God save me dat day if not na anoda tori.” “So risks dey di job but one need to be brave because na society dey benefit from di work.” ‘I get my family support’ “When I first tell my parents say I wan join vigilante dem no stop me in fact dem give me di needed support.” Hadiza say na dat family support give her more energy for di job. She tok say as a Hausa woman she dey change di narrative of say dem no dey like to do dis kain of security work. As for marriage she yan say na mata of time as e get some of her female colleagues wey marry on di job. “Vigilante work no dey stop marriage, if time reach I go marry, e get some of my colleagues wey marry and dem be vigilante so na mata of time.” Vigilante oga for Kano tok why dem form female unit Shehu Rabiu na im be commander for Kano state vigilante group and e tok say di reason dem form dis female unit na because dem feel say women get a lot to contribute to stopping crimes wey dey happun. “Dis female unit dey very important and na why we form am, because e get areas wia na dem dey take di lead, for example for our culture here, e dey wrong for men to enta married women homes but our female officers fit enta without any issue.” “We don give dem all di necessary trainings and dem fit do wetin man go do and we believe say many women go continue to show interest to join dis work.” History of vigilante for Nigeria According to security expert Isa Hashidu, vigilante group for Nigeria start over 20 years ago and unlike wen dem first start dem, don really grow for recent years. Dem dey involve in community policing and most times sabi dia local areas pass conventional security operatives like police and military. Vigilante for Nigeria na registered group wey get backing of Nigerian law and dia officers na from di communities dem dey operate in. Dem get members across di 36 states of Nigeria and almost all di 774 local goments, dem get dia headquarters for Kaduna state and command office for Abuja wey be capital of Nigeria. Dem dey liaise with Nigeria Police to carry out dia community policing work and as e be say dem no get power to prosecute, any arrest wey dem make dem dey forward to Nigeria police for prosecution. According to di vigilante laws, na pipo wey dey 18 years and above fit join and di pesin must get secondary school leaving certificate.

For nine years now Hadiza Tanko na pesin wey criminals for Hotoro area of Kano no dey like to see because dem know say dem go face wahala given her status as vigilante member for di area. She tell BBC Pidgin say for many years e dey pain her to see how drug abusers, rapists and thugs dey take over her area na wetin motivate her to join vigilante be dat so dat she go contribute her quota to ending di problems. “Anytime I see bad thing dey happun for my area, thuggery, drug abuse e dey pain me say nobody to intervene or take up di case na wetin motivate me to join vigilante be dat.” “Now anytime I see something wey no good dey happun I dey try intervene but if na something wey pass my power as an individual, I go report to our office for necessary action on di mata.” Vigilante dey involve in community policing and most times sabi dia local areas pass conventional security operatives like police and military. Vigilante for Nigeria na registered group wey get backing of Nigerian law and dia officers na from di communities dem dey operate in. 'Risky job' According to Hadiza plenty risks dey her line of work because criminals no like pesin wey im mission na to stop crime. She tok tori of how she almost suffer knife stabbing as a result of her work. “For dis work some pipo dey see am say we enter di work to target dem and no be so we just wan see beta society.” “E get one day I just dey waka and I sight two pipo by di side as I just dey near dem one of dem just comot knife and attack me, na so I just dodge, if not na my chest di knife for enter.” “Na so I run leave di place go report for our office, na God save me dat day if not na anoda tori.” “So risks dey di job but one need to be brave because na society dey benefit from di work.” ‘I get my family support’ “When I first tell my parents say I wan join vigilante dem no stop me in fact dem give me di needed support.” Hadiza say na dat family support give her more energy for di job. She tok say as a Hausa woman she dey change di narrative of say dem no dey like to do dis kain of security work. As for marriage she yan say na mata of time as e get some of her female colleagues wey marry on di job. “Vigilante work no dey stop marriage, if time reach I go marry, e get some of my colleagues wey marry and dem be vigilante so na mata of time.” Vigilante oga for Kano tok why dem form female unit Shehu Rabiu na im be commander for Kano state vigilante group and e tok say di reason dem form dis female unit na because dem feel say women get a lot to contribute to stopping crimes wey dey happun. “Dis female unit dey very important and na why we form am, because e get areas wia na dem dey take di lead, for example for our culture here, e dey wrong for men to enta married women homes but our female officers fit enta without any issue.” “We don give dem all di necessary trainings and dem fit do wetin man go do and we believe say many women go continue to show interest to join dis work.” History of vigilante for Nigeria According to security expert Isa Hashidu, vigilante group for Nigeria start over 20 years ago and unlike wen dem first start dem, don really grow for recent years. Dem dey involve in community policing and most times sabi dia local areas pass conventional security operatives like police and military. Vigilante for Nigeria na registered group wey get backing of Nigerian law and dia officers na from di communities dem dey operate in. Dem get members across di 36 states of Nigeria and almost all di 774 local goments, dem get dia headquarters for Kaduna state and command office for Abuja wey be capital of Nigeria. Dem dey liaise with Nigeria Police to carry out dia community policing work and as e be say dem no get power to prosecute, any arrest wey dem make dem dey forward to Nigeria police for prosecution. According to di vigilante laws, na pipo wey dey 18 years and above fit join and di pesin must get secondary school leaving certificate.