Benue State Government has responded to the nationwide security outfit set up by the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, insisting that it will not operate in the state.
A Fulani socio-cultural association that goes by the name Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore announced this week that it had set a vigilante group nationwide with the aim of protecting Fulani herdsmen from cattle rustlers, kidnappers, and other criminal elements.
But reacting to that announcement, the Benue State government said that the Vigilante group had no space to operate in the state, as security agencies and livestock guards were already on hand to keep the peace between herdsmen and farmers.
In a press statement issued by Terver Akase, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, and distributed to journalists in Makurdi the state capital, the government made it clear that the State had need Miyetti Allah Vigilante group.
“We read the statement credited to the Fulani socio-cultural association, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, in which the group announced that it has established its security outfit called ‘Miyetti Allah Vigilante’ to operate nationwide.
“As much as we do not have any problem with Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore floating a security outfit in other states, it is important to say that such a vigilante group WILL NOT OPERATE IN BENUE STATE. Miyetti Allah has no constitutional right to establish a nationwide security outfit.
“Benue does not need the Miyetti Allah vigilante. The State Government is working with conventional security forces and has already established a vigilante group at the state, local government, and ward levels.
The government said this was evident in the ongoing recruitment of personnel for community policing who will soon be trained, as recommended by Inspector General of Police.
“The idea of running a nationwide vigilante group is a mere strategy by the Fulani socio-cultural organization to elevate their nefarious and inhuman activities to another level.
“They have repeatedly claimed responsibility for the killing of thousands of children, women and other vulnerable people in different states, yet, members of the group walk freely in Abuja and hold press conferences threatening to unleash terror on the people of this country,” the statement further read.
Benue urged the Federal Government to stop looking elsewhere for bandits who have been killing innocent Nigerians. “Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore are coordinators of banditry in the country, and officials of the group reside in Abuja,” the state government said.
