‘We’re in shock over US Congress profiling’ – Miyetti Allah denies terrorism links
Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association Rejects US Sanction Proposal
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has formally rejected an alleged proposal by U.S. lawmakers to impose sanctions on the organization, asserting that it operates as a peaceful and law-abiding entity.
Baba Othman Ngelzarma, the National President of MACBAN, expressed concern during an interview with Trust TV, stating there is no basis for the U.S. Congress to label the association as a terrorist organization. He noted that MACBAN representatives had previously engaged with officials from the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria, making the recent developments particularly surprising.
“We received the news with the greatest shock because we don’t know what the association has done to deserve such a sanction,” Ngelzarma said. He emphasized that MACBAN has been a non-violent and non-religious trade organization for 42 years, dedicated to advocating for cattle breeders across Nigeria, regardless of their religion or ethnicity.
Ngelzarma further explained that MACBAN is a democratic pastoralist group, with leadership selected through elections. He asserted that the association is neither armed nor involved in criminal activities, maintaining that it has never claimed responsibility for any crime or supported such actions.
He highlighted the group’s collaboration with security agencies to combat crime and stated that several MACBAN leaders have lost their lives during this effort. “As a result of this cooperation, many leaders of the association have lost their lives. So, we are really surprised that this association is still being considered for sanction,” he remarked.
The association operates transparently, with offices in all 36 states of Nigeria and local government areas, and works closely with state, local, and federal authorities. Ngelzarma called on President Bola Tinubu to safeguard the association’s members from what he described as an existential threat.
