Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule has denied involvement in the formation of Nomad Vigilante, recently launched by the leadership of the Fulani sociocultural association in the state.
Governor Sule disowned the group during separate meetings with members of the State House of Assembly and representatives of the State Council of Chiefs yesterday in Lafia.
Grow your business with us
The leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore launched a 1,144-man Nomad Vigilante Group to assist in combating the escalating security challenges in the state.
President of the body, Abdullahi Bello Bodejo, while unveiling the vigilante outfit in Lafia, said it will collaborate with security agencies in fighting banditry, kidnapping, and cattle rustling across the state.
However, speaking on the development, Governor Sule said the state government has no prior knowledge of the formation of the outfit even as he noted that his administration would not support any illegal group in the state.
He explained that if the state government is interested in the formation of such an outfit, it would have since initiated a legislation through the State House of Assembly to give it a legal backing.
“We refused to be part of it because it was purely issues of the security agencies.
“As far as we are concerned, the Fulani Vigilante, just like all other groups that wanted to have a group, have done that. We have not recognized anyone. 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 recognised the community policing,” he said.
He added, “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. I am number one peace promoter, and I will never encourage insecurity in the state,” he said.