The Southern Kaduna Peoples Union has condemned move by Fulani herdsmen under the aegis of ‘Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore’ to form an armed Vigilance Force.
The Miyetti Allah group said the formation of force to bear arms was to protect herders across the country especially in Benue State.
But the SOKAPU, an umbrella body of the southern Kaduna people in Kaduna State, argued that the move by Fulani to bear arms, was a call for anarchy and another civil war in the land.
According to the SOKAPU in a statement by its spokesperson, Luka Binniyat, in Kaduna on Thursday, if the Fulani herders would be allowed to form Vigilance Force, then, other ethnic nationality must be permitted to form theirs.
Consequently, the union urged the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari(retd.) not to treat the move by Miyetti Allah to form a Vigilance Force with levity as usual.
SOKAPU noted that by now, the presidency ought to have moved swiftly to call for questioning the leadership of the Miyetti Allah group, saying, “That is what a serious country will do.”
However, the union praised the Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle for forming a volunteer vigilante service to be trained by the Nigeria Police Force, urging other states in the Middle Belt region and the North to emulate the Zamfara state helmsman.
The statement partly read,”The unwelcomed news that Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, a powerful socio-cultural Fulani group, is forming its own vigilante group, should alarm all Nigerians who care about the existence of Nigeria as a corporate entity.
“The Secretary General of the group, Saleh Hassan, made the grim disclosure Four days ago in an interview he granted the International Centre for Investigative Reporting.
“Hassan ought to have been called for questioning to find the real motive behind such an unwarranted plan and to ascertain how far his group has gone into the scheme. In fact, the group ought to have been banned. That is what a serious country will do.
“The Fulani, even as a large ethnic group, do not have an exclusive state in almost all the states of Nigeria, and are certainly not natives of Benue State or anywhere in the Middle Belt.
“With over 200 Southern Kaduna Communities sacked and displaced by armed herdsmen and allied criminals after hundreds were killed and more wounded, the sight of an armed Fulani vigilante force on our soil will be a very provocative act that will push other tribes to form same.”
It added, “Any attempt therefore, to allow the Fulani to form, arm, kit and operate an armed wing so brazenly, is to also approve other ethnic groups to do same.
“In other words, SOKAPU is saying that a civil war may spark off if Fulani and other ethnic groups obtain arms for the exclusive reason of protecting themselves as groups under various independent commands.
“President Mohammadu Buhari must not take this lightly, even though he is fond of glossing over serious matters of security concerns.For the avoidance of doubt, SOKAPU condemns the formation of Fulani Vigilante force.
“No state government must allow any tribal group to form its own Vigilante group. It is a direct line to insurgency and separatism.
“At this point, SOKAPU wishes to hail the governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle for forming a volunteer vigilante service which he will train and arm under the supervision of the Nigeria Police.”
“We encourage other governors of the Middle Belt and the North to copy Governors Ortom and Matawalle in their drive to secure their states.”
