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MDG, Reps, Middle Belt Group Warn Buhari Over Miyetti Allah
A pro-democracy group, Movement for Democratic Goals (MDG), has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to call members of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association (MACBAN) to order over their threat against the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.
The association through its National Coordinator in Benue State, Alhaji Garus Gololo said Saraki would be forced out of office if he refuses to resign his position immediately.
Reacting, MDG, in a statement issued in Abuja, by its National Coordinator, Aliyu Abdulkareem said it would hold the President whom it described as Patron of Miyetti Allah responsible for any outbreak of violence in the nation.
“The statement credited to the coordinator of the association in Benue State, Alhaji Garus Gololo, where he threatened to force the number three citizen of the nation out of office, is not only reckless and irresponsible; it is also highly unfortunate and capable of throwing the nation into turmoil.
“Ordinarily, such threat could have been ignored as a noise of an attention seeking rabble rouser, but the several bestial activities credited to members of the association in the recent past, is a reason not to take the threat with levity.
“It is on record that members of the association don’t just issue threat, they go all-out to violently fulfil their threats, and it is evident in their recent activities.
“We also strongly believe that, he who plays the piper calls the tune; the association only echoed the mindset and plans of their paymasters and those giving them state support.
“As the Patron of the association, President Buhari must call them to order to forestall outbreak of violence and anarchy in any part of the country. Their threat should not be taken with levity.
“If any crisis breaks out in any part of the country as a result of the threat, we will not hesitate to hold the president and members of the association responsible.
“We will take it further by writing to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague to call their attention to the reckless and bestial activities of MACBAN with maximum support from the state,” the group said.
Similarly, the House of Representatives has reacted to a statement credited to Garus Gololo of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association demanding the resignation of Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki.
Gololo had stated that Saraki would be forced out of office if he refused to resign his position immediately.
Reacting, the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr Abdulrazak Namdas, expressed shock over the threat.
Speaking with newsmen, he said, “If it is true that Miyetti Allah made the threat on Saraki’s resignation, it is shocking. This is very shocking indeed.”
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Wednesday gave President Muhammadu Buhari “24 hours to arrest leaders” of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association, MACBAN.
Meanwhile, the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to call Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) to order.
MBF said this in reaction to threat to Senate President, Bukola Saraki by an official of association, yesterday.
MACBAN’s Coordinator in Benue State, Alhaji Garus Gololo, had stated that Saraki would be forced out of office if he refused to resign his position immediately.
Gololo claimed that Saraki had created numerous problems for the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Reacting via a statement, yesterday, MBF Coordinator of Public Communication, Ndi Kato, lamented that the statement was made in Benue where lives and property of countless indigenes have been lost to attacks by herdsmen.
It reads: “As a result of these targeted attacks on Benue and most states in the Middle Belt, our region is knee deep in a mismanaged humanitarian crisis spanning several states.
“This threat by the leadership of Miyetti Allah is not only insulting, it is inciting and we believe, issued with the intention to heat up the polity.
“The Middle Belt Forum has observed the consistency with which leaders of Miyetti Allah expend inciting statements on national issues well beyond their reach and we are at the juncture where we must stand firm and insist Enough Is Enough! Miyetti Allah must be called to order!
“Nigerians cannot understand the root of this audacity by Miyetti Allah to pour fuel on national issues from the heavy loss of human lives in several parts of our nation to sensitive political issues.
“Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki is not only the Senate President but the highest office holder in the Middle Belt.
“A threat to his office by non-political actors is a threat to democracy; a threat to his person is a threat to the leadership of our region.
“The entire Middle Belt is currently grappling for stability in the midst of chaos, land grabbing and mass killings.
“We call on well-meaning Nigerians to rebuke such statements and the intentions behind them as these are direct threats to our democracy.
“We call on our national security agencies to in the interest of national peace and stability, invite Alhaji Garus Gololo for questioning.
“Finally, we call on President Muhammadu Buhari to put his foot down against such rhetoric in the interest of our nation.”
Similarly, the Arewa Youth for Peace and Security has advised the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association to focus on helping to stop the killings, rather than getting involved in partisan politics.
The National President of the group, Salisu Magaji, gave the advice in a statement issued, yesterday in Abuja.
Magaji expressed concern over a statement credited to Garus Galolo, the Benue State Chairman of the association, asking Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki to resign from office or he would be forced to do so.
He noted that Saraki was elected by senators and only two-thirds of the entire lawmakers could remove him from office as stipulated by law.
“They should restrict themselves to the constitution of Miyetti Allah. Saraki is a Nigerian and he remains the President of the Nigerian Senate as elected by the senators.”
Magaji wondered if the association was now a political group to be talking about forcing Saraki out of office.
“Do they not know he was elected as the Senate President by senators and that only two thirds of the entire senators can remove him from office as stipulated by the constitution of Nigeria?
“We would like to think that this chairman of Miyetti Allah in Benue State does not understand the rudiments and essence of politics.
“So, let him concentrate on how to stop the killings in Benue State and desist henceforth, from talking about politics because Miyetti Allah is not a political group.
“He should desist from heating up an already fragile polity. Our laws are clear on how to remove a sitting Senate President.
“This attempt at resorting to unconstitutional means, as advocated in some quarters, does not mean well for our democracy and ultimately, the stability of our nation,” Magaji said.
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have foiled attempts by drug trafficking syndicates to smuggle illicit substances concealed in carton walls, winter jackets, and body cream containers through Murtala Muhammed International Airport and a Lagos-based courier firm.
The agency said two consignments bound for Italy were intercepted at the Lagos airport, leading to the arrest of suspects linked to the shipments.
In a statement released yesterday, the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said one of the suspects, 37-year-old Friday Ehianuka, was intercepted on Friday, March 20, 2026, while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Rome, Italy.
The statement partly read, “Two of the consignments heading to Italy were to be moved through the Lagos airport where two suspects linked to the shipments were promptly arrested.
“One of them, 37-year-old Friday Ehianuka, was going to Rome, Italy on Friday, March 20, 2026, when he was intercepted while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight with 2,698 pills of tramadol 225mg concealed in containers of skin-lightening body cream, all packed in the suspect’s luggage.
“In his statement, Ehianuka, who is a resident of Milan, confirmed that he was to be paid a negotiated fee in Euros if he had succeeded in trafficking the consignment to Italy.”
In another operation on Wednesday, March 18, Babafemi said NDLEA officers at the departure hall intercepted another passenger, Christian Agbonhese, attempting to board a Lufthansa flight to Milan.
A search of his luggage uncovered 23,150 pills of tramadol 225mg, 4,000 tablets of tapentadol 250mg, and 1,320 pills of tramadol 100mg concealed in two large winter jackets.
“No fewer than 23,150 pills of tramadol 225mg; 4,000 tablets of tapentadol 250mg; and 1,320 pills of tramadol 100mg, all concealed in two large winter jackets, bringing the total number of opioids recovered from him to 28,470 pills. The 38-year-old Agbonhese is also a resident of Milan,” the statement added.
In a separate operation at a courier firm in Lagos, Babafemi said NDLEA officers on Monday, March 16, intercepted two parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 1kg, hidden in a carton shipped from the United States.
“Also thwarted was an attempt to export 158 grams of methamphetamine concealed in the walls of a carton to New Zealand,” he said.
In Kano State, operatives arrested Abdulkadir Mamuda, 35, with 102.5kg of skunk at Dan-Tsalle, while another suspect, Uche Johnson Festus, 47, was nabbed at Naibawa Gabas with 95.5kg of the same substance.
Babafemi said the agency also recovered 21,737 bottles of codeine-based syrup during a raid at Otto, Ijora area of Lagos on Wednesday, March 18, adding that two suspects, Chidiebere Anigbogu and Paul Nwagbara, were arrested the same day on the Third Mainland Bridge while conveying 8,380 bottles of the syrup.
In Edo State, operatives recovered 97.5kg of skunk from the residence of Akeem Idde, 37, in Ojah, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area on March 16.
In the FCT, officers intercepted a commercial bus along the Gwagwalada Expressway on March 18, recovering 91,840 pills of tramadol hidden in body compartments of the vehicle. The driver, Aminu Ali, 27, was arrested.
In Oyo State, a suspect, Bankole Bari, was on Tuesday, March 17, arrested at Oke-Oyan, Ibarapa LGA, with 71.2kg of skunk, which he smuggled into Nigeria from Benin Republic through the Oyan River.
In a similar development, “Not less than 586,000 pills of tramadol and Exol-5 were recovered by NDLEA operatives from Lawal Anas, 28, along Kaduna-Zaria Highway, Kaduna, on Tuesday, March 17, while 7,290 tablets of tramadol 225mg were seized from Musa Shuaibu, 22, at the same location on Friday, March 20,” Babafemi said.
In Taraba State, officers intercepted Aliyu Adamu, 26, along the Takum-Jalingo Highway with 77,660 capsules of tramadol, while in Adamawa State, six suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure of 82.8kg of tramadol in a truck in Yola.
The suspects include Ramatu Aliyu, Jungudo Abdullahi, Najid Abdullahi, Musa Mohammed, Usman Abdulrahim, and Musa Mohammed.
The agency said its commands across the country also intensified War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, and communities during the week.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers of the MMIA, DOGI, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Oyo, FCT, Taraba, and Adamawa commands for the arrests and seizures, urging them to sustain the balanced approach to drug control efforts.
News
RSG Applauds FRSC, NDLEA For Enhancing Security In Rivers …As NDLEA Pushes For Drug Tests In Schools, NYSC Camps
The Rivers State Government has commended the dedication and collaboration of federal government agencies in sustaining security in the State.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by the State Commander of the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), CN Bature Dawa, in Port Harcourt, last week, the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Dagogo Wokoma, said Governor Siminalayi Fubara appreciates the strong synergy between the agencies in promoting his administration’s vision of peace, prosperity and progress in the State.
Wokoma urged residents to remain law-abiding, noting that respect for the law is essential for good governance and sustainable development in all parts of the state.
He stated that the governor has remained committed to initiatives that promote peace and social order, stressing that the administration will continue to support programmes of federal agencies aimed at strengthening security and public safety.
“Our governor is committed to peace, progress and prosperity in Rivers State. I therefore encourage all residents, especially young people who are often targeted by those involved in drug abuse, to stay away from drugs, crime and reckless driving,” he said.
In his remarks, the State NDLEA boss, Dawa, disclosed that the agency has arrested 39 suspects in the state from December 2025 to date, including 16 new cases currently under investigation.
He explained that the NDLEA, through its Drug Demand Reduction and Drug Supply Control Units, has intensified efforts to curb the spread of illicit drugs and ensure offenders are brought to justice.
Dawa also called on parents and guardians to closely monitor their children, while urging hotel owners and managers to remain vigilant and prevent their facilities from being used for drug-related activities.
He further advocated the introduction of drug integrity tests in schools and within the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme as part of measures to discourage drug abuse among young people.
In a related development, Dr Wokoma received the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), CC Inyang Umoh, during a courtesy visit, and urged residents to abide by road safety laws and drive in consideration of other road users.
In his remarks, the FRSC boss expressed appreciation to Governor Fubara for the continuous support to the Corps.
Muslims in Rivers State have commended Governor Siminialayi Fubara for his dedication and commitment to the development of the state.
They also lauded the governor for promoting peaceful co-existence among various religious groups in the state.
Vice President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs ,Alhaji Nasil Awhelegbe Uhor, gave the commendation last Friday during the Eid-el Fitri prayer to mark the end of Ramadan fasting period, at the Port Harcourt Central Mosque, Niger Street, Port Harcourt.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the prayer, Alhaji Uhor said Governor Fubara has shown exemplary leadership in the affairs of the state.
Uhor who is the leader of the South South Muslim Ummah of Nigeria, called on Muslims to remain committed to the ideal of peace and fear of the Almighty Allah.
According to the Rivers State Islamic leader, the message is for Muslims to imbibe and allow the lessons of Ramadan to sink into their lives and shape their ways of doing things.
He urged Muslims to imbibe the culture of love and respect for one another.
“My message is that all Muslims should imbibe and allow the lessons of Ramadan to sink with them,” he advised.
Uhor stressed the need for Muslims and all Nigerians to remain patriotic, while avoiding all forms of anti-social behaviours.
He also called on the political leaders to put the country first, stressing that there is no need for Nigerians to continue to wallow in abject poverty when the country is so rich with natural resources.
Also speaking, the Chief Imam of Rivers State, Alhaji Ibrahim S Yalo, urged Muslims to fear God, and speak the truth always.
According to him, time has come for Nigerians to cultivate the habit of peaceful coexistence, speak the truth and be each others keeper.
“Nigerians own a duty to ensure peace, live together in fear of God and speak the truth always,” he said.
By: John Bibor
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