Presidency denies offering Macban N100bn but says they are no different from Ohaneze or Afenifere

PRESIDENCY officials have denied reports that the government has offered the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (Macban) N100bn ($276m) to get Fulani herdsmen to end their orgy of violence saying all that is taking place is a dialogue.

Last week, interior minister Lt General Abdulrahman Dambazau led a federal government delegation to the talks with Macban in Birnin-Kebbi, the Kebbi State capital where they sought to seek an end to the ongoing spate of Fulani herdsmen attacks across the country. Apparently, Macban asked for N160bn but after intense negotiations, both sides settled for N100bn to be paid over two years.

However, the development sparked a national outrage as society groups warned that Macban would just use the money to buy more sophisticated weapons for the herdsmen, which would in turn lead to more attacks. Besides, the annual budget of the Nigeria Police Force is only N30bn and it was argued that this N100bn would be better spent equipping the police.

Seeking to limit the damage from the outcry, presidential spokesman Mallam Garba Shehu, denied that that the money had been offered to Macban, saying the government only dialogued with them about security. He added that Macban is a pan-cultural organisation like Afenifere and Ohanaeze groups and thus should not be criminalised or regarded as a terrorist group.

Mallam Shehu said: “It is a mistake to say the Nigerian government is talking to bandits. The Miyetti Allah group is like Ohanaeze and Afenifere, it is a socio-cultural group.

"There are criminals within the Yoruba race and you cannot say because of that, Afenifere is a group of criminals. The Nigerian government is speaking with the leadership of the Fulani herders association, Miyetti Allah."

When asked if it is true that the herders were offered N100b to help maintain peace, Mallam Shehu replied that it is 100$ untrue. He added that in all the meetings held, money was never discussed.

Mallam Shehu added: “All of the issues were about the involvement of the leadership of Miyetti Allah and getting them to prevail upon its members and they are many. We asked them to assist the administration to recover weapons which were owned by a lot of these elements.”

He pointed out that the dialogue did not directly translate to an amnesty, saying that it is a win-win situation for all because the cattle breeders also have their issues which they brought to the government. However, the development has been widely criticised because Macban have been blamed for numerous murderous attacks and none of its officials have ever been charged.

Former aviation minister Femi Fani-Kayode, said: "Macban are an association of butchers of cows and men. They are the purveyors of violence, the custodians of falsehood and the repositories of evil.

"They are as perfidious as they are dangerous. They are an umbrella organisation of dark, callous, bloodthirsty and merciless men that seek to legitimise, shield and protect the Fulani herdsmen, the fourth most deadly terrorist organisation in the world.

“Comparing them to Afenifere or Ohaneze is like comparing the Church of Satan and the Cosa Nostra to the Vatican and the Anglican Communion.”

Acting Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has also denied that the federal government has offered to pay Macban N100bn. He said that the social media report was the figment of somebody’s imagination framed up to distract attention.