The widow of the late Senator Muhammed Ahmed Mukhtar Aruwa, Hajiya Umma, has disclaimed reports linking the alleged sale of Ranchers Bees Football Club to Super Eagles striker Sadiq Umar and Hon. Bello El-Rufai.
In a disclaimer issued through her lawyer, T. Y. Danboyi of Moonlight Attorneys, the widow stated that neither she nor any other heirs of the late senator had consented to any transfer of ownership of the Kaduna-based football club.
She emphasised that the matter regarding her late husband’s properties, including Ranchers Bees FC, is still before the Upper Sharia Court, Daura Road, Kaduna, and questioned how anyone could claim ownership without the family’s knowledge.
According to her, she was astonished to learn of a publication announcing the purported takeover and even more surprised by another notice inviting footballers for screening at Rimi College pitch on 18 August 2025.
“Our client has neither agreed to nor relinquished her rights over the club. Any use of the name Ranchers Bees FC without her consent is fraudulent,” the lawyer asserted.
The widow cautioned those presenting themselves as new owners to refrain from further use of the club’s name, insisting that the family remains the rightful custodian of the football team.
She vowed to initiate legal action against anyone found unlawfully exploiting the club’s name and heritage for personal or commercial gain.
The late Senator Aruwa, who passed away in December 2018, was a prominent Kaduna politician and sports enthusiast, recognised for developing Ranchers Bees FC into one of Northern Nigeria’s most popular football clubs.
