Ondo govt orders arrest of members of Fulani vigilante

The Ondo State government has ordered the arrest of members of the unauthorized group claiming to belong to the Fulani Vigilante in the state.

The state government also claimed that it was not aware of the existence of the armed group in a statement by the state Commissioner of Information, Mr. Donald Ojo, on Monday in Akure.

The existence of the group was discovered after a lawyer, Mr. Kayode Ajulo, who claimed to have encountered the armed group in the Akoko area of the state, posted pictures of their Identity cards online.

The statement read: “The Ondo State Government observes with concern trending pictures of identity card carrying men identified as Fulani vigilantes in the Akoko area of the state. Various claims have been as regards the activities, duties as well as supposed mandate of these men in question.

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“It is pertinent to recall that at the height of the incessant kidnap cases, the Ondo State Government took some far-reaching drastic measures which included marching orders to the law-abiding Hausa/Fulani leadership in the area to fish out criminal elements among them who took advantage of the rosy relationship between the indigenes and their law-abiding guests.

“As a measure to curb and possibly, stamp out cases of kidnap in the area, the Hausa/Fulani leadership was directed to select a handful of trusted men amongst them who could serve as tour guards in the thick forest as security agencies prepared to comb the forests. This measure yielded results.”

“It is important to note however, that while government appreciates the efforts of those who volunteered to provide information and served as tour guards to the security agencies in the ongoing operations in the area, it will not tolerate any unathourised move by any group to take an undue advantage of the current state of insecurity in the country.

“Succinctly, government, having been unaware of any such identity card carrying persons in the name of a vigilante group, has directed security agencies to get to the root of the matter and apprehend any such person or group of persons operating in that manner.”

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