Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria denies planning to attack the southeast

FULANI herdsmen bogy the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (Macban) has denied rumours it is planning to launch an attack across the southeast geo-political zone saying talk about it planning to forcefully confiscate grazing land is untrue.

Over the last week, it has been reported that Macban threatened to wage war against the southeast unless farmers there agreed to give it land so its members could graze their cattle. However, at a briefing in Akwa, the Anambra State capital, Alhaji Gidado Sidikki, the chairman of Macban's southeast chapter, said it has no grudges against any state in the zone, let alone plotting any form of attack.

He denied media s purporting it to have said that herdsmen would unleash mayhem on the area for denying them grazing rights. According to Alhaji Sidikki, the story was embarrassing and malicious.

Alhaji Sidikki said: “Few days ago, we woke up to a malicious publication in a social media platform,  purporting a phantom statement in Abuja entitled southeast will boil any moment from now because of their stubbornness. It was ascribed to the leadership of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, erroneously assigned by me.”

“My mission here is simply to expose the lie in the mischievous publication. It is my wish to inform the public that Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria did not make any statement to the effect of the content of the publication either in Abuja or anywhere for that matter.

“I humbly would wish to correctly place my designation as the chairman of southeast zone of the association and not the leader of cattle breeders in Nigeria, as I was addressed in the primary falsehood the publication sought to disseminate. Again, I wish to put it on record that the southeast zone of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria and her cattle herder members whom I serve as the zonal chairman enjoy warm relationships with the governors, governments and people of southeast Nigeria.

“I wish to state that this warmth has not been completely devoid of flashes of momentary conflicts at few locations, such instances were, however, promptly addressed by the authorities and warm communality restored amongst the people. Given the increasing orientation and reorientation of our people and the locals who are our landlords and given the strong commitment of the state governors to peaceful relationships across board, one harbours no doubts that the relationship between our herders and their landlords can only be increasingly enhanced as time progresses.”