Kwara Govt Confirms Miyetti Allah Members Arrested With Weapons During Ribadu-Led Operation

The Kwara State Government has clarified that the armed men recently apprehended by soldiers in the state, initially believed to be bandits, are members of Miyetti Allah participating in a federal security operation coordinated through the Office of the National Security Adviser.

The clarification comes in the wake of public concern following reports by SaharaReporters that Nigerian soldiers intercepted a group of armed individuals carrying AK-47 rifles while patrolling in a security vehicle in Ifelodun Local Government Area.

The suspects claimed that they were sponsored by the ‘Ilorin government,’ a development that sparked public anger and renewed fears over insecurity in the state.

SaharaReporters had earlier reported that residents strongly opposed an alleged plan by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to deploy armed Fulani herders, popularly known as Bororos, to combat banditry in Kwara.

They criticized the government for empowering herders allegedly responsible for violence while sidelining indigenous security actors.

However, when contacted by SaharaReporters, the National President of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Baba Usman-Ngelzarma, dismissed claims that the association or its members had been armed to fight in Kwara.

He described reports of the deployment of armed herders as propaganda and emphasized that Miyetti Allah collaborates with security agencies to promote peace without carrying arms.

Similarly, the National Secretary of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Saleh Alhassan, denied any involvement in arming herders or participating in violence, attributing insecurity in the state to criminal gangs, jihadist groups, and poor governance rather than the herders themselves.

He urged adherence to due process, lawful arrests, and fair trials as the only path to lasting stability.