Country: | Nigeria |
Details of Formation: | The group was formed by state government in September and received legal backing in November 1996. |
Details of Termination: | -- |
Purpose: | The vigilantes were created by the state government of Lagos to reduce crime and to act as local neighborhood watches. |
Organisation: | The PGM received payments from the state government, in particular from the Ministry of Rural Development, but was locally organized. It carried out joint operations with the police. |
Weapons and Training: | The militia received payments and weapons from the state government to fulfil their tasks which included tear gas and handcuffs. |
Size: | The militia had about 3,000 members. |
Reason for Membership: | No information. |
Treatment of Civilians: | Militiamen have targeted criminals and robbers during attacks which led to multiple deaths. Furthermore, deadly clashes with students were reported. The militia has extorted money from civilians as a means to gain income. |
Other Information: | 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. |
References: | Information was taken from news sources listed in the PGMD. |