This comes amid growing controversy over the arrest and public parading of some of their members by the Nigerian Army in Edo State.
Members of the Miyetti Allah–affiliated vigilante group have paraded suspected kidnappers arrested in Obajana, Kogi State, the Kwara State Government has said.
This comes amid growing controversy over the arrest and public parading of some of their members by the Nigerian Army in Edo State.
The state government confirmed the development, stating that the suspects were apprehended by the vigilante group while working alongside security agencies.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, the Senior Special Assistant on Communications to the Kwara State Governor, Ibrahim Abdulateef, announced: “MIYETTI ALLAH VIGILANTES PARADE ARRESTED KIDNAPPERS IN OBAJANA, SPEAK ON ARMY’S ARREST/PARADE OF THEIR MEMBERS IN EDO, AMONG OTHER ISSUES.”
In a video posted by the governor’s aide on Facebook, one of the Miyetti Allah vigilante members claimed that both the Kwara and Kogi state governments, as well as the Army, Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigeria Police Force, were fully aware of and involved in their operations.
“What we are doing is exactly around Obajana and places like Oshokoshoko, Agbade, Agwaddu, all the way to Odafe,” the vigilante member said.
“Everywhere we go with the security agencies, Kogi soldiers know it. They know all the hideouts in Egbe, Yagba East, Yagba West. We go together with soldiers, the DSS, and the police.”
He further alleged that similar joint operations were carried out on the Kwara axis, including Babanla and forest areas around Egbe, which he described as kidnapping hotspots.
“The Kwara State government and the soldiers know the work we are doing. The Kogi State government, the soldiers, the police, and the DSS in Kogi also know this work we do to help security agencies so that people can live in peace and safety,” he added.
Addressing the arrest of some vigilante members in Edo State, the vigilante rejected claims that those detained were bandits, describing the accusations as “injustice” and “false.”
“Now, there are our brothers, civilian vigilantes (GT), who were arrested in Edo State. They are being accused as bandits and this is being spread on social media. Honestly, before God, we are not happy about this; it is injustice,” he said.
“If a proper investigation is carried out, it will be discovered that these people are not bandits; they are our brothers who were arrested based on false accusations. Their good names are being damaged, and we are not happy about it.”
The vigilante member also claimed that the group had recently assisted security agencies in arresting and neutralising “real bandits,” while lamenting heavy casualties among their ranks.
He said, "We are people who work with security agencies; we help them. In the last three days, we even helped in arresting real bandits; some of them were killed. Because of this work, we have lost many of our people. This work is not easy; we do it out of necessity.
“We have lost many brothers; wallahi, tallahi, many people have been killed among us. They are counted, more than 20, even over 50 people have been killed. Their names and records are all with us.
"Yet, in this situation, our brothers are arrested and labeled as bandits in Edo State. This is injustice to us. We want the world to know that this is not justice. We work with security agencies to arrest real bandits. I want to confirm it myself; these people are truly bandits. We did this today, the 15th of December, 2025. That is the truth of the work we are doing.”
He warned that withdrawing vigilante support would worsen insecurity in rural communities.
"If the government does not want this work, they should tell us, and we will stop. But stopping will not bring peace. We want our country, Nigeria, to be peaceful. That is why we came out willingly, using our own resources, to do this work together with security agencies," he said.
Despite acknowledging that criminal elements exist among Fulani communities, the vigilante member insisted that their mission was to support the government and restore peace.
He said, "We know that there are criminals among Fulani. That is why we came out to defend this government and our country so that there will be peace. But if we are told we are not trusted, then we will withdraw, go back to our homes and our livestock, and stop.
“But stopping will not be good for our communities, and it will not be beneficial to our land. Nigeria needs this cooperation with security agencies; that is the work we want to do.
"That is all. We have lost many people recently; people we knew well: Abdullahi Abdul’aziz, our commander; Abdulkareem; Yerima; Ubangyu Haruna; Issa Umar; Umar; Bello; Umar Abubakar; Abdul’aziz, all of them we have lost. They were our brothers we worked with.
"Yet, it is now being said that our children, civilian vigilantes working with the DSS and police, are criminals. This has deeply hurt us. Let an investigation be done and the truth will come out; these are not criminals; they are the very people we help arrest.”
“Our leaders know this; the Kogi State government knows. They have seen and appreciated our efforts.
"These are the criminals we are arresting now. We pray that God will help us so that our land can live in peace. That is all," he added.
Earlier, SaharaReporters reported that the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) had acknowledged that it provided arms to vigilante groups as part of efforts to support security agencies in combating terrorism, banditry, and other criminal activities, particularly in hard-to-access terrains.
In a statement, the Head of Strategic Communications at the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), ONSA, Mr Abu Michael, said the intervention was in line with Part III, Sections 4, 5 and 6 of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022.
Mallam Nuhu Ribadu was appointed by President Bola Tinubu as National Security Adviser on June 19, 2023.
Michael explained that the NCTC, operating under the ONSA, “continues to coordinate and support law enforcement, security and intelligence agencies in countering all forms of terrorism in Nigeria.”
He made the clarification while responding to media reports surrounding an incident in Kwara State, where a rifle reportedly issued by the Office of the National Security Adviser was recovered.
He called on the media to act responsibly, safeguard sensitive security information, and seek clarification through designated official spokespersons.
According to him, “recent media reports published on some online platforms” made it necessary to clarify aspects of ongoing counter-terrorism operations across the country, “particularly in forested areas of Kwara State.”
He said, “In line with the National Counter Terrorism Strategy (NACTEST), Nigeria’s kinetic approach includes the deployment of hybrid forces. This involves the coordinated use of regular security forces and trained irregular auxiliaries, such as hunters and vigilante elements, to operate in difficult terrains, including forest areas.”
Miyetti Allah Denies Involvement In Security
Earlier on Thursday, SaharaReporters reported that Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) had denied any involvement in the recent arrest of suspected bandits in Kwara State and the neutralisation of others in Kogi State.
In a statement issued by Baba Othman Ngelzarma, President of MACBAN, the association clarified that it is not a security outfit and does not participate in armed operations or sponsor criminal activity.
The statement read, "MACBAN wishes to state unequivocally that the Association has no involvement whatsoever in banditry, armed groups, or any illegal activity, and did not authorise, sponsor, or participate in any security operation in Kwara State or elsewhere.
"MACBAN is not a security outfit and does not deploy or mobilise members for armed operations. Any individuals arrested may have acted solely in their personal capacities, and such actions do not represent nor bind the Association in any form."