The Commissioner of Police, Nasarawa State, Shehu Umar Nadada, has denied the command’s involvement in the formation of a 1,144-man Fulani Nomad Vigilante team which was recently established in the state by the President of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Abdullahi Bello Bodejo.
CP Nadada disclosed this to Journalists on Tuesday during a courtesy visit by members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists at the state police command’s headquarters in Lafia.
Bodejo had on January 17 inaugurated the team saddled with the responsibility of fighting against banditry, cattle rustling, and all forms of insecurity in the state.
According to Nadada, the command was not officially notified about the formation of the Fulani Nomad Vigilante team, hence will not be liable for whatever challenges they encounter as a result of their actions.
He said, “I am assuring you that the Nomad Vigilante as they call themselves are on their own. There was no formal report to the police concerning the issue. Nobody wrote to me or called me that he was coming here (command headquarters) for anything.
“We have been working with some vigilante groups that are recognised by the government, but we will not work with any vigilante that is not recognised by the government”
Residents in the state had alleged the involvement of the police in the formation of the nomad vigilante group as officers of the command were seen providing security for them during the inauguration ceremony.
But reacting to the allegation, CP Nadada said the police command provided security at the venue of the inauguration ceremony for the 1,144-man nomad vigilante members in order to avert the breakdown of law and order at the event.
“Nobody informed the command in written form or verbally about the vigilante group, but ordinarily, if there is any gathering like that, we cannot allow people to gather without providing security for them so that hoodlums will not go and hijack the gathering,” he said.
Earlier, the Chairman of the NUJ, Nasarawa State Council, Salihu Alkali, while congratulating the CP for his recent posting to the state, pledged to give the police command the needed cooperation to ensure the success of their programmes.
