Respect Miyetti Allah, Presidency tells Ohanaeze, Afenifere

Denies N100b Donation To Herders Group 
The Presidency yesterday declared that Miyetti Allah, like other legal organisations, must be respected as a group with equal stakes like other similar groups in the country.

Senior Special Assistant on media and publicity to the President, Garba Shehu in a statement said the activities of the group also stand to benefit other Nigerians and not only selected ethnicities and Muslims. This came following statements credited to the pan Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere and its Ndigbo counterpart, Ohanaeze, where they berated him for likening the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria to their groups. Shehu said the plurality of Nigeria is something that would not be taken for granted.

He said the need to engage all groups of Nigeria is as much relevant today as it was then as evident when General Yakubu Gowon introduced National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), acknowledging there are criminals among every group in Nigeria. He denied that the Federal Government offered N100 billion to Miyetti Allah to gain their support in tackling banditry and kidnapping across the country.