Following the recent unveiling of Nomad Vigilante Group by Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore in Nasarawa state, the Forum of Ethnic Youth Presidents in the State has expressed worries over the development.
Recall that the President of the Miyetti Allah, Abdullah Bodejo, inaugurated 1,144-man Fulani vigilante team on January 17, 2024. A move he said was aimed at tackling banditry, cattle rustling and other forms of crimes across the state.
Days after the inauguration however, security agents, said to be soldiers and operatives of the Department of State Services, apprehended Bodejo on January 23 and whisked him away to an unknown destination.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday 6, February 2024 the Commissioner of Police in Nasarawa State, Shehu Nadada, revealed that the police were not carried along in the formation of the Miyetti Allah security outfit in the state.
Reacting to the formation of the group which has generated public condemnation and criticisms across the country, the Forum of Ethnic Youth Presidents, held a press conference in Lafia, the Nasarawa state capital Tuesday 6, calling on the Federal Government to outlaw the newly-formed group.
While addressing newsmen, the president of the forum, Silas Yileni, was quoted as saying, “We oppose the setting up of any suspicious security agency that is not community-based to avoid a situation where they could be used as militia. As such, we call for the immediate proscription of the Bodejo’s vigilante group in Nasarawa State and Nigeria at large.
The Forum emphasized that the arming of private security organizations in Nasarawa State, especially given the peculiar security challenges facing Nigeria, would impact negatively on the relative peace being enjoyed in the state.
Expressing concern over the perceived endorsement of the vigilante group by security officials, The Forum went further to demand the swift redeployment of all heads of conventional security agencies who attended the group’s inauguration in Lafia on January 17th, 2024.
The Forum further stressed on the importance of equipping security agencies with the necessary resources and training to enhance intelligence gathering.
