Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, the Fulani Socio-Cultural Association, has inaugurated a Nomad Vigilante group.
The move is aimed at complementing the efforts of conventional security agencies and addressing rising concerns related to security, particularly in Nasarawa State.
The National President of the association, Bello Bodejo, announced the formation of the Nomad Vigilante during an event in Lafia on Wednesday.
The initial batch comprises 1144 Fulani youths drawn from various communities across the 13 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Nasarawa State.
In his statement, Bodejo stated that the profiling of additional recruits is ongoing, with a target to enlist up to 4000 youths for comprehensive coverage of all Fulani communities.
Bodejo assured that the vigilante group would actively collaborate with security agencies to identify and apprehend criminal elements within the Fulani community, emphasising their commitment to intelligence gathering and surveillance to address issues such as kidnapping and banditry.
He appealed to Nigerians to avoid ethnic profiling of criminals, urging that individuals caught engaging in criminal activities should be treated as criminals, regardless of their ethnic background.
Umar Nadada, the Commissioner of Police in Nasarawa State, commended Miyetti Allah for the initiative, acknowledging the timeliness of the formation given the security challenges in the state and the nation.
The commissioner assured the group of the police’s readiness to collaborate with any organisation interested in ensuring the security of lives and property.
While advising the Nomad Vigilante to report any suspicious activities to security agencies, Nadada stated the importance of not taking the law into their own hands, reiterating that the group is not authorised to use firearms during their operations.
The inauguration ceremony witnessed the presence of representatives from the Nigerian Army and other security agencies.
