Minister of the interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd), has denied allegation that the Federal Government gave Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) N100billion during a recent meeting with the group in Birnin Kebbi.
Dambazau spoke on Monday in Anka, Zamfara State while fielding questions from newsmen.
He described information that government gave the group money as fabrication of mischief-makers.
“Let me state categorically that during our meeting with members of the Miyetti Allah representatives, no issue of money was discussed at all, not to talk about giving them any.
“We did not give them even one kobo, the information being spread is the fabrication of mischief makers trying to divert from the matter facing us, which is the killing of innocent citizens.
“My visit to Zamfara today is in furtherance of that meeting to discuss with stakeholders and as you have seen, we are on course and confident that the issue of banditry in all the affected states is coming to an end,” he said.
The minister had earlier told the Emir of Anka, Alhaji Attahiru Ahmad that he was in the state at the instance of President Muhammadu Buhari to address insecurity in the state.
He assured farmers that the government would provide adequate security for them to farm without hindrance during the farming season.
Ahmad, who is also the chairman of the council of chiefs in the state, urged the government to do more in order to resolve the crisis.
He said unless something more serious was done, there would be no farming in the state during the year, adding that many villages had been deserted with more displaced women and children coming to the towns.
Ahmad said at the moment, there were more than 16,000 internally displaced persons in Anka who had escaped bandits’ attacks from nearby villages.
He advised that security agents should invade all the deserted villages which were now hiding places for the bandits to enable displaced villagers to return home.
Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, had last week dismissed allegation that government planned to appease MACBAN with N100 billion.
According to Shehu, even if Miyetti Allah had demanded money, “this government would have dismissed them as yet another dubious group.”
