The Guardian (Nigeria)

Fulani vigilante: PDP accuses Nasarawa gov of double standard

• MURIC flays Plateau all- Christian security committee

- Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Transition Monitoring Group, Najaatu Mohammed ( left); Executive Director, Civil Society Legislativ­e Advocacy Centre ( CISLAC), Auwal Ibrahim Rafsanjani and a representa­tive from West Africa Civil Society Organisati­on Fo

State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP), Nasarawa State chapter, has accused Governor Abdullahi Sule of playing a double standard in the creation of the controvers­ial Fulani Vigilante outfit recently unleashed on the state.

This was as Muslim Rights Concern ( MURIC) condemned the purported lopsided appointmen­t of a security committee by the Plateau State government.

Chairman of Nasarawa PDP, Francis Orogu, made the allegation, yesterday, at his residence, while receiving the 38 women protesters after their release from prison custody.

Orogu pointed out that the role Governor Sule played in the creation and launching of the controvers­ial vigilante outfit, and his recent denial of any involvemen­t, is a testament to his insincerit­y.

He said: “Sule, in an interview by Seun Okinbaloye on Channels Television on January 19, stated clearly that the Fulani vigilante outfit had been formed and that it had started work in Nasarawa. He said the outfit was set up to complement the security agents, to help fish out some Fulani militants in the state.

“But after the arrest of the National President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Abdullahi Bodejo, by security operatives for inaugurati­ng the outfit that is not duly registered, Sule denied involvemen­t in the creation of the vigilante.”

Orogu described the governor’s act as a double standard, noting that it amounts to a betrayal of trust with the Fulani people.

The PDP chairman, however, pointed out that such a double standard was what gave birth to terrorism in some parts of the country, where chief executives support unlawful foot soldiers in the dark, but still denounce them in the day publicly.

Miyetti Allah had inaugurate­d 1,144 nomad vigilante security outfits as part of its effort to tackle kidnapping and other criminal acts in Nasarawa.

The leadership of the vigilante outfit said the essence of the group, according to Miyetti Allah, was to help flush out the bad elements among them in the state.

Notable security agencies were represente­d at the inaugurati­on. After the inaugurati­on of the Fulani vigilante outfit that day, the outfit embarked on a march to the headquarte­rs of the state police command, and was received by the Commission­er of Police, Abubakar Nadada.

Muslim Rights Concern ( MURIC) has condemned the purported lopsided appointmen­t of a security committee by the Plateau State government. Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, had appointed an 11- man security committee for the state, but an Islamic group, MURIC, accused him of nursing anti- Muslim sentiments for failing to include a single Muslim in his 11- man committee.

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