Policy & Administrative Framework
How the Civilian Joint Task Force came to be, what it exists to do, and the limits within which every command, officer and volunteer operates.
Historical Development of CJTF
The Civilian Joint Task Force became prominent in Maiduguri and other parts of Borno State around 2013 during the Boko Haram insurgency.
Community members, particularly local youths with knowledge of their communities, began assisting formal security agencies by providing information about suspected insurgents, identifying suspicious movements, assisting in community surveillance and helping protect local communities.
The initiative developed because local residents possessed important knowledge of their communities, including local routes, settlements, languages and patterns of movement.
The CJTF subsequently became an important component of community-based support to counter-insurgency efforts in parts of Northeast Nigeria. Its experience demonstrated that community participation can complement the work of formal security institutions when properly organized, trained, supervised and regulated.
Limits of authority
CJTF members are civilian volunteers and should not be confused with members of the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force or other statutory security agencies.
Purpose and Role of CJTF
The fundamental purpose of CJTF is to support community safety and lawful security activities while operating within the limits of Nigerian law.
Its appropriate functions may include:
- Community safety awareness.
- Provision of lawful community-based intelligence to authorized security agencies.
- Identification and reporting of suspicious activities.
- Support for protection of vulnerable communities.
- Assistance during emergencies and disasters where authorized.
- Public enlightenment on security and crime prevention.
- Support for lawful search-and-rescue activities.
- Assistance in protecting public infrastructure where properly authorized.
- Community engagement and conflict-prevention initiatives.
- Cooperation with constituted security and government authorities.
Limits of authority
CJTF personnel should not independently exercise powers reserved by law for the Police, the Armed Forces or other statutory security agencies.
National Command
The National Command serves as the central administrative and policy-coordination authority of the organization, subject to the organization's legal status and applicable Nigerian law.
Principal responsibilities. The National Command should:
- Establish national policies and administrative standards.
- Maintain national organizational records.
- Establish training and disciplinary standards.
- Coordinate State Commands.
- Maintain national membership and identification standards.
- Coordinate national programmes.
- Establish financial-control procedures.
- Represent the organization in authorized national engagements.
- Promote cooperation with relevant government and security institutions.
- Monitor compliance by State Commands.
- Investigate serious administrative or disciplinary matters.
- Maintain national communications and public-information standards.
Limits of authority
The National Command should not use its position to unlawfully interfere with the constitutional or statutory responsibilities of government security agencies.
State Commands
State Commands constitute the principal administrative structure for implementing approved CJTF policies within individual states.
Each State Command should operate within:
- Applicable Nigerian law.
- Approved CJTF policies and regulations.
- The authority of the relevant government institutions.
- The limits of its mandate.
- The national code of conduct.
Responsibilities of State Commands. State Commands should:
- Implement national policies.
- Coordinate Sector Commands.
- Maintain state membership records.
- Supervise approved community units.
- Organize authorized training.
- Submit regular reports to National Command.
- Maintain financial records.
- Coordinate with relevant state government and security institutions.
- Ensure proper identification of personnel.
- Prevent unauthorized use of CJTF name, insignia and uniform.
- Investigate and report misconduct.
Relationship Between National and State Commands
The relationship is based on unity of purpose, administrative coordination, accountability and clear lines of authority between the National Command and each State Command.
Funding Framework
CJTF funding should be transparent, documented and subject to appropriate financial controls.
Depending on the legal and administrative arrangement applicable to a particular CJTF organization, legitimate sources may include:
- Government-approved support programmes.
- State or Local Government support where lawfully appropriated.
- Approved grants.
- Donations from lawful sources.
- Community support programmes.
- Institutional partnerships and membership fees.
- Other lawful sources.
Limits of authority
No officer should personally collect money from members of the public in the name of CJTF without proper authorization and documentation. No State Command should create unauthorized financial obligations in the name of National Command.
Recruitment and Appointment
Recruitment and appointments are governed by written regulations.
Every member should undergo:
- Proper identification.
- Background screening where applicable.
- Verification of personal information.
- Approved orientation.
- Relevant training.
- Issuance of official identification.
- Acceptance of the CJTF code of conduct.
Appointments should be issued by the appropriate authority and properly documented.
Limits of authority
No individual should recruit, train, appoint, dismiss or deploy personnel while falsely claiming authority from National Command or a State Command.
Uniform, Name and Insignia
The CJTF name, uniform, identification cards, insignia, official documents and other organizational symbols are protected against unauthorized use. Only properly authorized members should use official CJTF identity materials.
Unauthorized persons should not:
- Establish offices using the CJTF name.
- Recruit personnel in the name of CJTF.
- Issue CJTF identification cards.
- Conduct unauthorized training.
- Collect money using the CJTF name.
- Establish parallel commands while claiming to represent the organization.
Any suspected abuse is to be reported through the organization's disciplinary mechanism and, where appropriate, to the relevant government or security authorities.
Coordination with Government Security Agencies
CJTF maintains a cooperative relationship with constituted security agencies.
Such cooperation may include:
- Information sharing through lawful channels.
- Community security meetings.
- Public safety awareness.
- Emergency response support.
- Referral of suspected criminal activity.
- Community engagement.
- Support for lawful security operations when formally requested or authorized.
Limits of authority
CJTF should not present itself as a replacement for the Police, the Armed Forces, the DSS, the Civil Defence or other statutory security institutions. The primary responsibility for criminal investigation, arrest, prosecution and the use of statutory coercive powers remains with the institutions legally empowered to perform those functions.
Prepared as a policy and administrative framework for CJTF Nigeria.