‘Jihadists Threat’: We’re Not Involved – Miyetti Allah As Clark Spits Fire

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association Of Nigeria has disowned and distanced itself from a statement credited to a faceless ‘Fulani Jihadists’, group in which a 72-hour ultimatum was issued to Delta State to reverse its laws on open grazing.

Reacting to the press conference earlier held by the leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) Chief Edwin Clark, who accused Miyetti Allah of being behind the purported threat, MACBAN leader said the position of the association on open grazing still remains.

According to the Secretary-General of MACBAN, Usman Baba-Ngelzerma, such a statement by faceless individuals is only meant to create mischief.

Baba-Ngelzerma said MACBAN is a responsible association with eminent personalities like the Sultan of Sokoto as its patron and as such will never do anything to jeopardise the peace of the country.

He urged the Northern Governors to ensure the recovery of all grazing routes in the country, adding that Fulani herders have equal rights with all Nigerians and cannot be treated as second-class citizens.

BIGPENNGR reports that the leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark, had at a press conference in Abuja condemned vehemently the purported threat issued to Governor Okowa over the ban on open gazing.

Clark had specifically warned the purported Fulani Jihadists and the Miyetti Allah to be careful about issuing threats directed to the Niger Delta, warning “what is happening today in Nigeria, which has resulted in unprecedented insecurity and bad governance in Nigeria, will be worse” if the Niger Delta becomes a target for attacks.

The elder statesman said; “We have watched with restrained patience, the reckless and irresponsible utterances of the so-called Fulani Jihadists and the Miyetti Allah, who believe that they own Nigeria from the North to the sea, and therefore, have the impunity to warn the State Governments, particularly the Delta State Government and Governor to withdraw, within 72 hours, his decision against open grazing, recently taken by the 17 Governors of the South, in a meeting held in Asaba.

“We have decided to issue this advice and warning to the Federal Government and the Fulani Jihadists that the people of the Niger Delta will resist in such a way that will make it definitely impossible for the Federal Government security forces to cope with, should this action escalate.

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“We are reacting because this is not the first time Fulanis and their collaborators have insulted our people. It will be remembered that sometime in 2009, a Legislature from Kebbi State in the National Assembly asked the Federal Government to resettle the people of the Niger Delta in another territory to create a conducive and unhindered atmosphere for the oil companies to operate.

“That we warn, the resulting consequences will be very unpleasant to them. The Federal Government has continuously condoned them and behaving as if the Federal Government is the one giving support to these Fulani Jihadists and the Miyetti Allah because what is happening today in Nigeria, which has resulted in unprecedented insecurity and bad governance in Nigeria, will be worse, if they are not called to order by the Federal Government within the shortest time possible”, Clark warned.