The Tiv Youth Organisation has sharply reacted to the formation of Fulani Vigilante Group by the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, a Fulani socio cultural organization and calls on President Ahmed Tinubu to act swiftly by stopping approval of the take off of the group
This is contained in a statement issued out to the media by Comrade Andy Aondongu Anzah, President Tiv Youth Organisation World Wide and obtained by Krestnews today Thursday, Jan 25.
The statement simply says: “On Wednesday, 17th of January, 2024, we watched in disbelief the birth of another terrorist group in disguise, the unveiling of Nomad’s Volunteer Vigilante Group by Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore in Nasarawa State.
Bello Bodejo, the President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore who commissioned over 1144 Fulani youths during the exercise said “it is aimed at assisting security agencies combat criminal activities such as banditry, kidnapping, cattle rustling and so on.” More horrifyingly, he added that “plans are on ground to recruit over 4000 members into the fold and also extend it to other states.”
The Tiv Youth Organisation in the statement said such act has been very worrisome considering that the Nasarawa Commissioner of Police, Umar Nadada who attended this unveiling was seen commending the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore for commissioning terrorists to continue unleashing mayhem on innocent and defenceless Nigerians.
“We want to state unequivocally that whatever nomenclature assigned to this group of terrorists it has never fooled us because we have witnessed this calculated dastardly acts of terror from time immemorial by this same group, the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore. We have witnessed over the years the nefarious activities of this organization resulting in countless loss of lives and property and creation of anarchy”,the statement says.
They went on in the statement to recall that it was in June, 2020 that this very Fulani Socio-Cultural organization announced the establishment of a Fulani Vigilante group which was roundly condemned by all and sundry given their antecedents and the potential to cause mayhem. This recent exercise is nothing but a confirmation that Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore is still hell bent on what we all feared; The annihilation and occupation agenda of people’s land.
A Socio-Cultural organization such as Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore has no constitutional right whatsoever to establish a vigilant group. Such is only permitted where the State, through a due process carried out by a legislative house pass into law the creation of a security outfit to assist the conventional security in securing lives and property such as is done in the South West (Ametokun) as well as the Benue State Livestock Guard. This exercise is not just a calculated attempt at terror but outrightly unconstitutional and must be resisted by all well meaning Nigerians”, the statement further stressed me
They explained that in his first media briefing with journalists, the current Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, told the nation that his administration will not collaborate, partner or engage non state actors in the management of the nation’s internal security. “This is why we are horrified to learn that the Nasarawa Commissioner of Police was present at the unveiling of this quasi security outfit, obviously set up to cause continuous unrest.
“It is well known that Nasarawa State is fast becoming the epicenter of banditry activities and when apprehended, the perpetrators turn out to be this very group of people coming up with a coordinated plan without any legislative backing. This cannot be allowed to stand because it is clearly a ploy to recruit more fighters to carry out their dastardly and nefarious criminal activities in the Middle-Belt and Nigeria as a whole. No wonder Mr. Bello Bodejo was clear about the intention to extend the recruitment to other States of the country. We therefore view this as a timed bomb that must be averted to save Nigeria from more anarchy.
We believe without a shade of doubt that the heavy military presence in the North East and North West has forced these terrorists to flee the region and take sanctuary in Nasarawa State in the Middle-Belt of Nigeria which explains the uprising in criminal activities in the region. Such a creation by Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore can only be a cover for these escaped terrorists to visit more crimes on the region and beyond. This must be resisted with every vehemence”;they further stressed.
They call on the security agencies to arrest and carry out thorough vetting on these people and they will be discovered to be active terrorists who fled from the North East or North West.
They argued that the Tiv Youth Organization will never accept the operations of any Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore vigilante group in Nasarawa State because according to them, many of the attacks on Benue communities emanated from bordering Nasarawa communities such as Keana, Awe, Doma and so on by armed herdsmen who ghost into Benue State, attack Benue communities and run back into Nasarawa, saying they would not accept another group commissioned right in their neighborhood by their assailants knowing the full implications of it.
“We make bold to state that should this be allowed to stand, the Tiv Youth Organization will also establish its own vigilante outfit in Nasarawa State and other states of the federation where our farmers reside to protect them since the conventional security in Nasarawa State and elsewhere appears inadequate in its wherewithal to provide security for indigenes and has permitted socio-cultural organizations such as the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore to assist in security matters.
We wish to warn that with this security outfit created, the security of the Federal Capital Territory is threatened because if allowed, this will quickly become an operational base, after taking root and becoming monstrous in the true nature of their modus operandi, they will spread all over the country, beginning with the neighbouring FCT.
They wondered why the Vigilante Group is not commissioned in Sokoto or Katsina or Gombe states or elsewhere in the North East or North West but here in the Middle-Belt, stressing that there is sinister motive behind and which is bare to all.
“We therefore, call on President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to swiftly direct the disbandment of the said Nomad’s Volunteer Vigilante Group. We further call on the IGP to replace the Nasarawa Commissioner of Police who has conspired with Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore in establishing a terrorist group, clearly against the earlier promise of the IGP. With this action, we are tempted to believe that the entire Police Force may have been compromised and therefore, complicit in the ploy to cause unrest in the Middle Belt and Nigeria at large. Only a swift response will convince us otherwise” they concluded in their statement concluded.