From Abel Leonard, Lafia
The Commissioner of Police, Nasarawa State, Shehu Umar Nadada, has refuted claims of the command’s participation in the establishment of a 1,144-man Fulani Nomad Vigilante team recently initiated in the state by the President of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Abdullahi Bello Bodejo.
Bodejo had on January 17 inaugurated the team with the mandate to combat banditry, cattle rustling, and all forms of insecurity in the state.
In a statement to journalists during a courtesy visit by members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists at the state police command’s headquarters in Lafia on Tuesday.
CP Nadada clarified the Command’s stance. He stated, “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 is coming here (command headquarters) for anything.”
Highlighting the Command’s policy, Nadada emphasised: “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.”
However, residents had raised concerns about the alleged involvement of the police in the formation of the nomad vigilante group, citing the presence of officers providing security at the inauguration ceremony.
Responding to the allegations, CP Nadada clarified, “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.”
Earlier, the Chairman of the NUJ, Nasarawa State Council, Salihu Alkali, extended congratulations to the CP for his recent posting and pledged cooperation to ensure the success of police programs in the state.