9th
February, 2024
PRESS
RELEASE:
LEAVE MIYETTI ALLAH SECURITY OUTFIT ALONE –
MURIC
A faith-based human
rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has called on the
Nigerian Police to recognize the Fulani Nomad Vigilante team which was recently
launched in Nasarawa State on 17th January, 2024.
The group also demanded
the immediate and unconditional release of Dr.
Abdullahi Bello Bodejo, leader of Miyetti Allah who was arrested on 23rd January, 2024 at the Tundun Maliya Cattle Market,
Tundun-Wada, Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
These demands were contained in a press release issued on Friday, 9th
February, 2024, by the Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
He said:
“The Miyetti
Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) launched a security outfit under the
name Fulani Nomad Vigilante Team on 17th January, 2024. But the
Nigeria Police has since declared the vigilante team illegal and refused to recognize
it. (https://dailypost.ng/2024/02/06/police-disown-miyetti-allah-security-outfit-in-nasarawa/;
https://newsnownigeria.ng/police-disavow-miyetti-allah-security-outfit-in-nasarawa/)
“The
leader of Miyetti Allah, Dr. Abdullahi Bello Bodejo, was also arrested on 23rd January, 2024 at the Tundun
Maliya Cattle Market, Tundun-Wada, Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State
(https://leadership.ng/dss-arrests-miyetti-allahs-president-for-setting-up-vigilante-group/).
“The
refusal of the Nigeria Police to recognize the new security outfit established
by Miyetti Allah is inexplicable. It stands logic on its head. Coming in the
wake of complaints by police authorities concerning understaffing among other
things.
“It is on record that even the new Inspector
General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, lodged the same complaint of understaffing
when he met the House of Representatives in November 2023, just three months
ago. The IG revealed that Nigeria Police currently has a 1:1000 ratio of police
to citizens. It should be noted that the United Nations recommends at least one
to every 448 citizens (ratio 1:448) (https://bnnbreaking.com/world/nigeria/nigeria-police-force-grapples-with-severe-understaffing-and-lack-of-resources/).
“We are therefore at a loss regarding
what informed the police decision to disavow Miyetti Allah’s security outfit. Security
experts maintain that security is everybody’s business and that it should not
be left to the police alone. Why then is the police jittery over Miyetti Allah’s
private security outfit?
“Nigeria’s
security challenges are so humongous that our leaders, from ex-President Jonathan
to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have been under severe criticism over security
lapses.
“The total number of our police force as
at 2019 was about 317,000. The Department of State Security Services hovered
around 33,000 while that of the Nigerian Army was approximately 100,000. With a
population not less than 220,000 and rising astronomically on an annual basis, the
IG’s fears must be seen as very real.
“This
is where we have doubts about the sincerity of the Nigeria Police and its raison
d’etre for refusing to recognize Miyetti Allah’s security outfit. It should
be noted that the 2,140-man-strong vigilante group established by Miyetti
Allah aims to complement the efforts of conventional security agencies in
addressing insecurity and promoting peaceful coexistence in Nasarawa State.
“We are all witnesses to the massacres of Fulanis in several
parts of the country, particularly cases of cattle rustling. 131 Fulanis were
mercilessly massacred at Kajuru local Government of Southern Kaduna on 10th
February, 2019. More than 1,000 Fulanis were systematically massacred in a span
of seven months between June 2017 and January 2018.
“732
Fulani Muslims were massacred in the carnage which occurred in June 2017 in
Mambilla, Taraba State. 82 Fulani Muslim women and children were killed by
Batchama militiamen in Numan Local Government of Adamawa State in November
2017.
“In
January 2018, 30 Fulanis were again killed in an attack by Batchama militia in
Numan, Adamawa. On July 6, 2018, 14 Fulani Muslims were killed by gunmen
suspected to be Nyandan militia in Lau Local Government, Taraba State. Yet
another 24 Fulanis were mowed down in the same Lau Local Government few weeks
after that. 96 Fulanis were also massacred in Kajuru about the same time.
“The
same fear of insecurity that birthed Amotekun in the South West is enough cassu
belli for Miyetti Allah’s Fulani Nomad Vigilante Team. The police
should allow a level playing ground among all regional and local security
outfits. Nature hates vacuum. It is the absence or insufficiency of security
agencies in troubled areas that necessitated the creation of complimentary
security outfits.
“MURIC urges the Nigeria Police to leave
Miyetti Allah alone. Its security outfit should be allowed to operate so that
Nigeria can move an inch closer to global best practices in security rating.
“In the same vein, whoever among the
security agencies that is holding Dr. Abdullahi
Bello Bodejo, leader of Miyetti Allah, should set him free.
“In compliance with the judicial principle
of audi alterem partem (i.e. hear
from both sides to a case before taking a decision), Section 36 of the 1999
constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria stipulates right to fair
hearing. The leader of Miyetti Allah must therefore be set free or produced in
a competent court of law.
“Although
Section 23 of the Police Act stipulates that suspects cannot be
detained beyond 24 hours after which the person should be charged to court in
conformity with the basic constitutional rights of citizens, Miyetti Allah
leader has been in detention since 24th January, 2024 in
contravention of his Allah-given fundamental human rights as stated again in
Section 41(1) on freedom of movement.
“We remind the security agencies and the
Federal Government that by holding the leader of Miyetti Allah beyond 24 hours,
Nigeria is violating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (of which the
country is a signatory) on Right to Fair Trial (Article
10), Right to freedom from torture or to cruel,
inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (Article 5), Right to
presumption of innocence until proved guilty according to the law
in a public trial which guarantees legal defence (Article 11).
“Article 7(b) of the
African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights also stipulates the right to be
presumed innocent until proven guilty by a competent court or tribunal. Dr. Abdullahi Bello Bodejo should therefore be released from
detention or arraigned before a competent court of jurisdiction.”
#RegisterMiyettiAllahSecurityOutfit
#SetMiyettiAllahLeaderFree
Professor
Ishaq Akintola,
Executive
Director,
Muslim
Rights Concern (MURIC).
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