Anambra Vigilante Group (AVG) has set up a taskforce to monitor activities of private security agencies, threatening to arrest impersonators and hand them over to the police for prosecution.

Disclosing this in a statement, in Awka, the state capital, yesterday, the Media and Publicity Secretary of AVG, Nweke Nweke, warned that those impersonating local security outfits across the state should have a rethink or face the consequence.

Nweke said it has become imperative to warn those illegally carrying Pump Action Guns (PAGs) in the guise of AVG, but are unknown to neither the State Ministry of Homeland Security nor its operational wing to desist forthwith. He called for an urgent identification and authentication of all vigilance operatives in the state.

According to him, activities of unrecognised PAG bearers pose a huge threat to the security of life and property in the state.

Nweke said: “We acknowledge that Anambra State House of Assembly enacted the State Vigilante Group law under the administration of Chris Ngige in 2004. The law gave private security groups right to assist the police and other security agencies to eradicate crime in the state. That opportunity should not be abused by anybody.

“Much as we appreciate assistance of private security groups in the fight against crime in the state, they should also not violate the very that empowered them to operate.

“It is, however, a security threat to employ any person with questionable character, to avoid leaking our operational strategies to criminal gangs. This is why we need to know the recruitment method of these groups.”