Tina Amanda
The Commandant-General of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria, VGN, Bakori Umar has disclaimed the purported directives to recruit members of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association into vigilante groups.
The Retired Navy Captain who stated this in an interview while reacting to claims by one Chukwuma Osumah that the Commandant-General was visiting Rivers State to recruit over one thousand members of Miyetti Allah into the group, warned those impersonating the VGN group and planning to recruit members of Miyetti Allah to desist forthwith or face the full wrath of the law.
According to him, Chukwuma Osumah is not the Acting Commandant of Rivers State VGN as claimed. He urged all members of vigilante in Rivers State to be vigilant and focused in their primary duties of ensuring the protection of lives and properties of their immediate environment.
The Retired Captain said he has alerted the Department of the Security Service, DSS and other security agencies on the issue, noting that members of the VGN have no dealing with the Miyetti Allah terrorist group.
“All our functions are official. The Civil Defence, DSS, EFCC, Police are aware of our activities, we are a registered organization with a certificate. All our members have identity numbers issued by the Civil Defence.
“I did not give any directive for recruitment of Miyetti Allah, we have reported this to the appropriate quarters. I believe they will take actions and we are not recruiting Miyetti Allah or training anyone. I do not intend to come to Rivers State any time soon or in the future as claimed.
“The VGN Commandant in Rivers State is Wilcox Mambo and not Chukwuma Osumah who is impersonating. He has been deceiving young unemployed men all over the country collecting money. The fact remained that we suspended him from VGN, we have reported him to EFCC, ICPC, and the office of the national security adviser.
“I’m advising our members to make sure Rivers State is secured, they should organise training often because insecurity has gone nuclear, the perpetrators are highly digital. Somebody from a faraway state can move in, commit crime and run away, that is the essence of the local intelligent network which we have trained our members on how to monitor and take action immediately such happens. And we do not collect money from anybody”
On his part, State Commandant Vigilante Group of Nigeria, Wilcox Manbo, called on the Commissioner of Police to put a tab on the Chukwuma Osumah-led group of vigilante, describing them as impersonators.
“I disclaim the statement made by Chukwuma Osumah that he is the Acting Commandant of Rivers State Vigilante Group of Nigeria, we do not have two commanders in a state, we only have one commander which is me.
“According to them, they said they are working with Miyetti Allah. At VGN we do not work with Miyetti Allah, we are just a federal government body. I called the national administrator, he confirmed that there is no way they will recruit a terrorist group such as Miyetti Allah into VGN.
“We want the Commissioner of Police to arrest these impersonators and asked them for the papers of corporate affairs registration. Some of them were with us including their general commander but because of their criminal activities, the national dismissed them from VGN and they went to form a criminal body using it to extort money from people.
“We are telling the public that the Chukwuma Osumah-led group is not part of VGN, they are only impersonating us. We have an original identity card and it is captured by DSS, the federal government also gave us a service number”
