ANY FULANI WHO COMES TO BENUE STATE AS VIGILANTE WOULD BE JAILED - GOVERNOR ORTOM
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has threatened to jail any Fulani herder who dares to come into his State to serve as a vigilante.
Ortom’s reaction was in response to the decision made in July by the Fulani socio-cultural association, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, to establish a nationwide security outfit in order to curb security threats in the country.
National President and Secretary of the association, Bello Bodejo, who disclosed news of the formation of the vigilante group, said the outfit code-named Miyetti Allah Vigilante, was aimed at assisting security agencies in combating kidnapping, and cattle rustling and banditry.
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While reacting to this, Governor Ortom, through his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, on Thursday, August 27, warned the Fulani group not to come to his State.
Orthom said that their motive was to carry ‘their heinous activities to another level.’
He reiterated that the service of the Fulani organization is not needed in Benue State, explaining that the State has its own vigilante and community policing network.
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Governor Orthom said “No Fulani group will come to Benue State where I’m the Governor; you people know that it is a lie, they cannot come. No room for vigilante group in whatever kind. When I confronted them, they said they would not use the vigilante group of Nigeria. That one will not operate here.
“We have our own vigilante that operates here; we have community policing in which we are recruiting now and livestock guard that take care of herdsmen in active support with security men.
“So, no single vigilante group of Miyeitti Allah will come to Benue State to make any noise here. For us in Benue State, we believe in the rule of law and we will jail them.”
The Fulani association, while also reacting to the statement, threatened to sue Governor Orthom and his State unless he retracted the statement.
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