The Fulani socio-cultural association, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, on Wednesday, announced the establishment of its nationwide security outfit in order to curtail security challenges confronting the country.
National President and Secretary of the association, Bello Bodejo and Saleh Alhassan, respectively, who disclosed news of the formation of the outfit in a communique issued in Abuja on Wednesday, said the outfit, code-named Miyetti Allah Vigilante, is aimed at assisting security agencies in checkmating such crimes as kidnapping, cattle rustling and banditry.
The formation of the outfit, however, drew the ire of other socio-cultural and political groups, such as the Yoruba’s Afenifere, Igbo’s Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Niger Delta’s PANDEF, who described its national outlook as unacceptable.
They contended that the activities of the Fulani security outfit should be localised, rather than giving it national colouration.
However, the Miyetti Allah leaders said the vigilante would operate according to the constitutional provisions and legal requirements of the country.
They also called on the Inspector-General of Police to protect Fulani pastoralists across the country from tribal hordes, ethnic militias and cattle rustlers.
They also urged security agencies to commence the process of detailed documentation of the violence against Fulani pastoralists, including the collection of exhibits and all relevant information to isolate the perpetrators of the violence, arrest and prosecute them to forestall reprisals.
The Miyetto Allah leaders frowned at the alleged continued extra-judicial killings of Fulani pastoralists by some security agencies in the country, calling on the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, to investigate the atrocities and ensure justice was served.
They commended the efforts of the federal and state governments to address the conflicts between farmers and herders, cattle rustling, kidnapping and banditry.
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