TheCable

Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue, says herdsmen who create any vigilante group in the state will be jailed.

In July, the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore said it will establish a vigilante security outfit across the country to protect herdsmen from cattle rustlers.

In a statement on Thursday through Terver Akase, his chief press secretary, Ortom said the state does not need a vigilante group from Miyetti Allah.

“No Fulani group will come to Benue state where I am the governor. You people know that it is a lie; they cannot come,” the governor said.

“No room for them to establish 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 takes care of herdsmen in active support with security men.

“So, no single vigilante group of Miyetti 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.”

Earlier in the month, Ortom had asked the federal government to allow “responsible” Nigerians to be in possession of “sophisticated weapons” like AK-47.

He said if citizens are well armed, they can defend themselves when they are under attack by bandits.