Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has said he is not intimidated by the threat of the Miyetti Allah Kauta Hore to take legal action against him and the state over his resistance to the establishment of a vigilante group by the body across the country.

The Fulani socio-cultural association had said it was going to establish a vigilante group across the country as part of measures to curtail insecurity in Nigeria.

Ortom had warned the association against coming to Benue State to establish the vigilante group and described the move by Miyetti Allah as another ploy to take its activities to another level.

Ortom’s response prompted the association to ask the governor to tender an apology or be taken to court.

Miyeitti Allah said in a letter to the governor, “The apology should be published in a conspicuous part, especially the front pages thereof within seven days of your receipt of this letter and failure to do that, we will have no other option but to activate the legal machinery of the law against you and Benue State.”

Reacting to the threat on Tuesday, the governor said he would not be intimidated or distracted by the antics and threats of Miyetti Allah.

Ortom noted that having received the letter from the Fulani socio-cultural organisation, his team of lawyers were already working on it and would respond accordingly.

According to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, the governor described as tissue of lies the claim by Miyetti Allah that its vigilante outfit was embedded in the Vigilante Group of Nigeria and was already functional in the 36 states of the country.

The governor said the desperation being exhibited by Miyetti Allah to float a security outfit across the country showed that the group had ulterior motives.

The statement read in part, “What Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore fails to understand is that the Vigilante Group of Nigeria also does not have the constitutional right to operate in all states of this country. The notion that the group is registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission does not vitiate any section of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to confer on it the powers to operate in every state of Nigeria.

“Vigilante is a neighbourhood arrangement, not a national programme. It is therefore a vain attempt by Miyetti Allah to try to force their security outfit on all states of the federation.

“The vigilante group run by Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore and the Vigilante Group of Nigeria can operate in other parts of the country, except Benue State.

“We will not be intimidated or distracted by the antics and threats of the Fulani socio-cultural organisation.”