The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has clarified that it is a lawful socio-economic organization and not a militia, armed group, or religious movement.
The association’s President, Alhaji Baba Othman-Ngelzarma, made this clarification in Abuja on Sunday during a press conference addressing the recent U.S. House Resolution 860 and other developments.
Othman-Ngelzarma strongly denied any involvement in criminal activities, asserting that MACBAN “does not support, condone, harbour, finance, or protect any form of criminality, extremism or violence.”
He condemned banditry, cattle rustling, kidnapping, and terrorism in the strongest terms, emphasizing that any individual who commits a crime, pastoralist or not, “must face the full weight of Nigerian law.”
The MACBAN President highlighted the group’s role in contributing to Nigeria’s food security and rural economy.
He described the association as non-political and non-religious, with a core focus on advocacy for pastoral development and the modernization of livestock systems.
“Our focus remains advocacy for pastoral development… and the peaceful coexistence of herders and farmers through dialogue and mutual respect,” he stated.
Othman-Ngelzarma concluded by warning against profiling the peaceful majority of pastoralists for the crimes of a few violent individuals, assuring that MACBAN remains committed to supporting peace and security initiatives in Nigeria.
Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.
Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.
He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.
Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).
He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.
He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.
Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.
