The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, has likened the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) with the Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the Afenifere socio-cultural groups.
While appearing as a guest on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, he said the group isn’t linked to banditry activities.
“The Miyetti Allah group is like Ohanaeze Ndigbo or the Afenifere. It’s just a cultural group,” he said.
The presidential spokesman admitted that the Federal Government is engaging the leadership of the association.
The meeting follows reported attacks by herdsmen that have led to the loss of several lives and properties.
When asked if the Federal Government offered a large sum of money to MACBAN to appease them, he simply denied it, saying: That is an absolute falsehood. In all of those meetings, nothing like money was discussed.”
According to the presidential spokesman, the meeting was for the leadership of the group to prevail on its erring members.
He explained that the existence of some miscreants in a group does not entirely mean the entire members of the association are criminals.
“There are criminals with the Yoruba race and you cannot say because there are Yoruba criminals, then Afenifere is a band of criminals,” he stated.
