Paper short abstract:

This paper seeks to explore the role of community vigilante groups in providing policing in semi urban Nigeria and what role have historical precedents played in informing current practices.

Paper long abstract:

The main focus of this paper is analysing the role of community vigilante groups in meeting policing needs in semi urban/rural Plateau state, Nigeria. Who are the vigilante groups? What do they do? How are they organised and structured? Where do they get legitimacy? What role have historical precedents played in current practices?

Secondly, recognising the fact that vigilante groups operate in different space scenarios i.e.; in areas where state policing is visible and dominant, visible but weak and areas where it is non-existent -the paper is interested in examining the dynamics that characterize relationships within a space of plurality. The paper considers the dynamics that characterize the relationship between the police, the local community and vigilante groups. However, in our case plurality is not strictly defined as state vs. non-state - there is a case for not just a plurality of actors but also recognising different practices and what they create.

Theoretical underpinnings of this research are derived from existing literature on the post-colonial African state; the legacies of its colonial past and the contradictions of its post-colonial history, particularly as it relates to the provision of security.

The paper relies on a multi-disciplinary research approach that is largely historical, but also ethnographic. I have relied on research interviews, archival materials and field observation.