The formation of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore’s Nomad Vigilante group in Nasarawa State has continues to generate controversy even as the State Governor Abdullahi Sule disowned it.
President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Bello Bodejo launched the 4,500 strong security outfit on January 17, 2024, at the City Square in Lafia, just a day before the Supreme Court delivered judgement on Nasarawa State governorship election with representatives from conventional security agencies in attendance .
Despite being invited by the group as a Special Guest during the inauguration of the outfit, Governor Sule has categorically denied any involvement in its formation.
His disclaimer allayed fears and tensions among residence of an ethnic persecution and cleanse but that palpable fear seem not to have been abated in the state as another sister Fulani socio-cultural organization ‘Fulani Nationalist Movement,’ (FUNAM) on January 24 threatened to unleash Jihad if government failed to release Bodejo who they alleged was arrested by the government.
The governor declared while receiving members of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly on a congratulatory visit over his recent victory at the Supreme Court, that the state government did not participate in the creation of the vigilante group.
According to him, if the establishment of such a group was government-led, a bill would have been forwarded to the State Assembly for consideration, clarifying that the issue was currently under investigation by the country’s conventional security agencies.
“The security agencies are already investigating the issue. We refused to be part of it because it was purely an issue of the security agencies,” the Governor stated.
Governor Sule explained that the state government does not recognize the Nomad Vigilante, just like any other vigilante groups in the state, emphasizing that the only vigilante group recognized by both the Federal Government and the state is the community policing initiative.
He said, “As far as we are concerned, there is only one vigilante group recognized by the Federal Government, which we also recognized in the state. We have recognized community policing.
“If anybody should know that the government has recognized any vigilante group, you should know more because that bill should have come to you as lawmakers, and you should be the one to pass the bill before we can do that.”
The inauguration of the Nomad Vigilante Group has sparked nationwide condemnation, leading to the recent speculation that the DSS arrested Alhaji Abdullahi Bello Bodejo, the president of Miyetti Allah, for interrogation.
But the DSS denied the report, stating that Bodejo was never in its custody .The military had also said Bodejo is not in her custody.
Fielding questions from Journalists last week Thursday, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba said that the “military operates based on the 1999 Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended which recognises the Nigerian Armed Forces and Nigeria Police as its forces.”
He said Bodejo the self acclaimed founder of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore Vigilante group was not in the custody of the military.
Fulani Nationalist Movement, (FUNAM) said in a statement signed by one Umar Amir Shehu and Badu Salisu Ahmadu which that has gone viral that Bodejo is being held by the government and that if he is not released “the Government will have itself to blame.”
They claimed that Jihad is inevitable and “it is now obvious we have no other option than to relaunch our campaign which we have started in earnest.”
The group also warned that “arrest of any Fulani man in connection with the Jihad is a crime against our collective interest. We warn the Nigerian Government not to make the mistake of arresting any Fulani leader or person,never again.”