The Southern Nigeria Frontier (SNF) has expressed shock at the statement credited to the Miyetti Allah Kauta Hore, which described the anti-grazing law being promulgated across the southern states of Nigeria as ‘Satanic’, with a threat that cattle breeders in the country will not obey the law, as the deadline approaches, across the states of the Southern Nigeria.
According to the Forum, the Miyetti Allah also threatened to arrest the Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, with the use of its militia wing at the expiration of his tenure of office.
SNF said while it is not strange for the Miyetti Allah to make such “unguided statements,” it (SNF) is worried that the group is taking its penchant for lawlessness to a level that suggests that its operatives are under the influence of hard substances.
“For the purpose of enlightenment of these primitive animal rearers, the promulgation of the anti-grazing law across our states in southern Nigeria is for the protection of our people within the southern Nigeria, who have become victims of the recklessness, violence and killings that have characterised the activities of the cattle rearers across several states of the country.
“We strongly believe that the opposition to the establishment of the anti-grazing law by our states is only coming from individuals and groups like Miyetti Allah, who are criminally minded and are bent on troubling the people of southern Nigeria,” SNF said in a statement by Olufemi Lawson, its spokesman.
It said there is no hidden motive behind the anti-grazing law, other than securing the lives and property of residents of the state.
But it wondered: “Does the Miyetti Allah now control a legitimate force in the country, empowered enough to effect arrest, including that of a state governor in Nigeria?”
SNF stressed that if Miyetti Allah thinks any inch of the state’s land will be ceded for its occupation forcefully, “then it should prepared for the consequences of disobedience to legitimate laws in our states.
“If we would ever be conquered in our land, definitely, such will not be by those we should ordinarily employ on our ranches.”
Rather than regulate the activities of its members, who keeps invading our villages, raping our women and killing people, Miyetti Allah think what matters is the threat of war and disobedience to our laws. We will never allow that.
On Miyetti Allah’s threat against the political aspiration of southern political leaders, SNF said it is not bothered, as it remains committed to ensuring that the southern Nigeria produce Nigeria’s next president in 2023.
“Finally, we wish to remind the federal government, that such threats by these gang of cow rearers, including the threat on the life of a state governor, will not be taken for granted and must be investigated without further delay, irrespective of the arrogant claim by Miyetti Allah that it controls the presidency and the United Nations,” it said.
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