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MASSOB Warns South-Easterners, Others against Selling Land to Miyetti Allah
The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra has warned monarchs, senators and governors in the South-East not to sell any portion of land in the region to Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association members.
MASSOB also called on the Federal Government to prevail on Fulani herdsmen bearing unlicensed weapons to surrender them, adding that many of the members of MACBAN were still in possession of AK-47 rifles.
National Director of Information of the secessionist group, Sunday Okerefor, also maintained that members of MACBAN had already taken delivery of the N100bn they asked from the Federal Government.
Okereafor, who spoke in a telephone interview with our correspondent, said members of the cattle breeders association planned to use the money to purchase land in the South-East and other parts of the country to create cattle ranches.
He warned that any traditional ruler found to have sold land to Fulani persons would be dealt with, adding that the family of such monarchs would not be spared.
He said, “So we are telling the Ezes to go and chase out these Fulani people from our land before the end of this month because we are aware that the Federal Government has given N100bn to MACBAN.”
He added that Federal Government had already given N100bn to MACBAN.
“The Miyetti Allah (MACBAN) wants to use this money to buy our land, not that the government wants to give them land; they want to use that money and come to our communities and buy land to breed their cows and force us into slavery.
“Afterwards, they will bring their cows, ammunition and their brothers there, they will buy large parcels of land and after they buy, we will not be able to stop them again. That is why we are warning the Ezes, that anybody that will welcome the Miyetti Allah, that person will be dealt with.
“We have told our groups around the communities to monitor the villages to check when the Miyetti Allah will come to buy land. We don’t have any land to sell to them; they should go to the North and buy land there.
“The Miyetti Allah has been given N100bn, whereas, we have Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Ijaw youths and Arewa youths, why didn’t the government give them N100bn each as they gave to the Miyetti Allah?
“The Federal Government should first of all ask the Miyetti Allah to drop their weapons because I saw Fulani men in our bush with AK-47 rifles; seven of them were holding these guns, they passed through my community in the bush.”
On 2023 presidency, the MASSOB spokesman pointed out that the Igbo had no chance of having one of their sons or daughters becoming the President of the country in the next 1,000 years because some people felt they were defeated during the civil war and did not deserve to lead Nigeria.
He said, “We are not interested in the Presidency; an Igbo man cannot be President again. If the currency is naira, then they will never allow Igbo to rule again. NAIRA as an acronym means Never Allow Igbo Rule Again.
“These Igbo politicians are aware of it; they say that the Igbo were defeated in the war; they would say that we should go home and take care of our children and forget about an Igbo president.”
The Punch
Headlines
‘Hands off’: Millions of People Join Protests Against Trump and Elon Musk Across All US States
Millions of people took part in protests against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk across all 50 states and globally on Saturday, organized by a pro-democracy movement over “hostile takeover” and attack on American rights and freedoms.
According to CNN, over 1,400 “Hands Off!” mass-action protests were held at state capitols, federal buildings, congressional offices, Social Security’s headquarters, parks and city halls throughout the entire country – anywhere “we can make sure they hear us,” organizers said.
“Hands Off!” demands “an end to this billionaire power grab.”
“Whether you are mobilized by the attacks on our democracy, the slashing of jobs, the invasion of privacy, or the assault on our services – this moment is for you,” the event flyers state. “We are setting out to build a massive, visible, national rejection of this crisis.”
Nearly 600,000 people had signed up to attend the events, some of which took place in major cities like London and Paris, according to Indivisible, one of the organizations leading the movement in collaboration with a nationwide coalition that includes civil rights organizations, veterans, women’s rights groups, labor unions and LGBTQ+ advocates.
Organizers say they have three demands: “an end to the billionaire takeover and rampant corruption of the Trump administration; an end to slashing federal funds for Medicaid, Social Security, and other programs working people rely on; and an end to the attacks on immigrants, trans people, and other communities.”
Commissioner of Police, CP Olajide Rufus Ibitoye, acting on the orders of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, through the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in-charge of Force Intelligence Department (FID) Abuja, has extended an invitation to the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, for an “investigative meeting with regards to an incident that occurred during the Sallah celebration within your domain”.
The said incident is in connection with the violence that broke out during the recent Eid-el-Fitr procession in Kano, which resulted in the death of a local vigilante member.
The incident happened as the Emir’s entourage moved from the Eid prayer ground to the palace in a traditional procession. The clash, which marred the otherwise peaceful celebration, led to the tragic loss of life of a vigilante member, Surajo Rabiu, and left one other injured.
The invitation was conveyed in an official letter dated April 4, 2025, and signed by Commissioner of Police, CP Olajide Rufus Ibitoye, on behalf of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in-charge of Force Intelligence Department (FID) Abuja.
The letter reads: “I have the directives of the Inspector General of Police, through the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force Intelligence Department (FID), to invite you for an investigative meeting with regards to an incident that occurred during the Sallah celebration within your domain.”
The Emir has been requested to appear before the Force Intelligence Department in Abuja, opposite the Police Headquarters, Area 11, by 10:00am on Tuesday, April 8, 2025.
This development comes amid heightened tensions in Kano State following the earlier decision by the State Police Command to ban the annual Durbar festival due to security concerns. The ban, announced days before the Eid-el-Fitr celebration, was intended to prevent any possible breakdown of law and order during the festive period.
However, despite the suspension of the Durbar, a motorcade procession of Emir Sanusi II still took place on the third day of the Eid-el-Fitr celebrations.
The Kano State Police Commissioner, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, had also inaugurated an eight-member Special Investigation Panel (SIP) to investigate the violence.
As at the time of this report, there has been no official response from the Emir Sanusi II’s palace regarding the Police invitation.
Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the political adviser to President Bola Tinubu, has resigned his appointment.
Reports say the former spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) tendered his resignation about two weeks ago.
Further reports quoting presidency sources did not, however, provide details of the reasons for his decision, but only stated that it was on personal grounds.
Baba-Ahmed was appointed in September 2023 as Special Adviser on Political Matters in the Office of Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Over the past 17 months, he had represented the presidency at several public fora, including a recent national conference themed: “Strengthening Nigeria’s Democracy: Pathway to Good Governance and Political Integrity”, which held from January 28 and 29, 2025 in Abuja.
