The Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore Fulani Sociocultural Association established the Nomad Volunteer Vigilante Group, which includes 1,144 volunteers, to combat banditry, kidnapping, livestock rustling, and other types of insecurity in Nasarawa State.
At the inauguration in Lafia on Wednesday, the Miyetti Allah’s national president, Abdullahi Bodejo, stated that the volunteer vigilantes were meticulously picked, screened, and profiled.
He stated that they will work in accordance with the country’s existing laws.
He urged the volunteer vigilantes to work with the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force, and other security services as they carried out their operations across the state’s 13 local government areas.
He said, “In every tribe, there are always people who will give a bad name to their kinsmen. All tribes have such people. So, that bad narrative about only the Fulani people is not good.
“The Nomad Volunteer Vigilante Group was not created to replace or undermine the efforts of our existing security agencies but rather to purely complement their work for the greater good of our country.
“The sole purpose of creating this outfit is to ensure peace and harmony and to assist in addressing the serious levels of insecurity that have plagued our great nation, which we condemn in its totality.”
The Commissioner of Police in Nasarawa State, Umar Nadada, who was represented by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Operations, Abdulaziz Aliyu, praised the Miyetti Allah for establishing its vigilante team and urged the newly formed organization to collaborate with formal security agencies in order to avoid violating existing laws.
Earlier, Lt. Col. Inuwa Bala, Commander of the 177 Guard Battalion in Keffi, advised the Miyetti Allah’s security outfit volunteers to follow the association’s rules of engagement.
Bala, represented by Maj. M. A. Sani, assured them of the Nigerian Army’s support in ensuring that they do not experience any difficulties in carrying out their duties.