The Ogun state commander of Vigilante Group of Nigeria, Mr Olanrewaju Nureni Adedoyin has made it clear that before the existence of police in Nigeria, Ogun state had started the work as far back as 18th century.
Olanrewaju made this known at the command headquarters in Abeokuta when receiving the leadership of Egba Youth Association in preparation for the upcoming event titled Egba Youth Conference 2018.
He said when looking at the history of police in Nigeria today, one will discovered that Egbas can not be left aside because they have been doing the work even before that amalgamation of the country, Nigeria.
The commander said it is the duty of everyone to do the work of police and not until they are been recruited into the service as many may think of.
In his words, he said "Vigilante Group of Nigeria is a grassroots security organization which compliment the efforts of all existing security agencies and despite the fact that we have our bill at the desk of the President now because it has already been passed into law by the two chambers, and now it is before the President to ascent it.
"As you have likely said, we shall be delighted to recruit more members because we know that you can't give us people who must have engaged themselves in one crime or the other, or people who are of questionable character. We really appreciate you for that, and we are ready for that partnership.
"And again, I want to tell you that this program that you're putting up is a very good program that I've been dreaming for, for a very long time, because if we look at the way and manners of increase in our society today, you will discover that it started from the foundation.
"If we have a forum just as we have in those days where our elders, where our traditional rulers will sit with the youth and enlighten them, it will bring down the rate at which people commit crime to the state minimum. Everybody will want to work and not want to engage in crime.
"Your idea is a very good forum in which I appreciate so much. If you're talking about policing, everyone is involved in policing, it is not when you join them before you become a police. If you're at alert in your community and notice some hoodlums, or some people who want to perpetrate crime, and you alert security agencies, you're already doing the work of policing.
"And if you look at the history of police is Nigeria, Egba cannot be put back because we have had our policemen as far back as 18th century, even before the amalgamation of Nigeria.
While assuring the leadership of maximum security for their upcoming event scheduled to hold on Saturday August 11th, Olanrewaju said he is ready for their partnership.
"I want to assure you that we will give you maximum security during the program and again whatever we have in our purse, we shall give to support you for the program because we are so much interested in empowering the youths, because we know if we empower them, crime rate will come down."
Earlier in his welcome address, Mr Tola Adenekan who the team said it will be a privilege for the Egba Youth Association to have them as security agency who will support them during the 3-day planned event.
Adenekan said, before now Egba Youth have been coming together at their various section to have a forum organized by Egba Traditional Rulers to dialogue on way forward, and other things.
He said the purpose of the event is to showcase to elders that Egba Youth are future reliable youth as everybody knows that youth all over the world are been celebrated every 12th of August.
Mr Adenekan also said the event tagged "Egba Youth Agenda for Peaceful Co-existence and Sustainable Development" have mobilized not less than 2,500 youth and about 500 elders for mentoring to be present.
Also earlier on Tuesday, the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic students association paid a courtesy visit to the state commander to register their existence and strengthen the relationship between the command and the students.
The spokesman of the SUG, Comrade Durodola Folorunsayo who led the team to state command said it is not a good idea to have a good relationship with security agencies without relating with the indigenous security agency, which is Vigilante Group of Nigeria, VGN.
