Our women not kidnapped – Borno Cattle dealers debunk CNN report

The Borno State chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has denied that any of its women had been captured by Boko Haram insurgents. The false kidnap report was peddled by local and international news agencies including CNN which quoted a MACBAN official as saying up to 40 women had been kidnapped.

Chairman of the association, Alhaji Amadu Musa, told newsmen that the reported kidnap of over 30 women was not true.

“We need to tell the world that there is nothing like that. All our women and girls are intact. It takes us this long to respond because we made a series of consultations to avoid issuing conflicting statements that will generate tension.

“Though our people are nomads who frequently move in search of pasture, I have representatives in all the 27 local government areas of Borno State. We have Lamido’s and Ardo’s in all localities. We took time to consult all of them and there was no reported incident of abduction. I believe the whole furore is the creation of some people.

“Specifically, our representatives in all towns and villages near Chibok met on Thursday at Askira Uba and none of the officials had any incident of abduction in his domain. We equally crosschecked with our people coming back with their cows and families to the extreme northern part of Nigeria from southern part of the country and confirmed that all is well,” Musa said.