ONSA Admits Arming Vigilantes, Including Miyetti Allah Members, in Kwara Anti-Banditry Operations

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Nigeria’s Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has officially confirmed that it supplied rifles to local vigilante groups — including individuals identified as members of Miyetti Allah — as part of a coordinated security strategy to curb the worsening banditry crisis in Kwara State.

The admission follows the arrest of several men recently found in possession of firearms later traced to ONSA. Government officials clarified that the weapons were lawfully issued under a “hybrid forces” framework, a model that pairs trained community vigilantes with conventional security agencies for joint operations in forested and hard-to-access areas.

ONSA said the approach was adopted in response to an alarming surge in violent attacks across Kwara, where bandit activities over the past 10 months have reportedly resulted in more than 500 deaths and hundreds of abductions.

According to the agency, participants in the programme were recruited from local communities, subjected to security vetting, trained, and deployed under the supervision of the police and other security formations.

The agency emphasized that the arming of vigilantes was carried out in line with existing laws and security protocols, noting that the goal was to strengthen intelligence gathering, improve rapid response, and deny criminal groups safe havens in the forests.

However, the revelation has triggered widespread public debate and concern, particularly over the inclusion of Miyetti Allah members. Critics argue that involving armed non-state actors linked to herder associations in regions already plagued by ethnic and communal tensions could deepen mistrust and potentially escalate violence.

Civil society groups and residents have questioned whether the strategy adequately safeguards host communities or risks creating new security complications.

Despite the backlash, security officials insist the hybrid forces model remains a necessary response to the evolving nature of banditry, stressing that local knowledge is critical in dismantling criminal networks operating beyond the reach of conventional patrols.

The confirmation has reignited national discussions on community policing, the role of vigilantes in internal security, and the delicate balance between emergency counter-banditry measures and long-term peace and stability in Nigeria’s conflict-prone regions.