Crisis hits Ranchers Bees as Aruwa’s widow denies sale of club

The widow of late Senator Muhammed Mukhtar Aruwa, Hajiya Umma Aruwa, has denied reports of the alleged sale of Ranchers Bees Football Club to Super Eagles striker, Sadiq Umar, and a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Bello El-Rufai.

In a disclaimer issued through her lawyer, T. Y. Danboyi of the law firm of Moonlight Attorneys, Aruwa’s widow said neither she nor other heirs of the estate of late Senator Aruwa had consented to any transfer of ownership of the Kaduna-based football club, which was owned by her late husband while alive.

She stressed that the matter of her late husband’s properties, including Ranchers Bees FC, was still before the Upper Sharia Court, Daura Road, Kaduna, and wondered how anyone could claim ownership without the family’s knowledge.

According to her, she was shocked to learn of the publication announcing the purported takeover of the club by new owners and even more surprised by another notice inviting footballers for screening at Rimi College pitch on August 18, 2025.

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“Our client has not agreed nor relinquished her rights over the company. Any use of the name Ranchers Bees FC without her consent is fraudulent,” the lawyer stated.

The widow warned those parading themselves as new owners to desist from further use of the club’s name, insisting that the family remains the rightful custodian of the football team.

She vowed to institute legal action against anyone found to be unlawfully exploiting the club’s name and heritage for personal or commercial purposes.

Late Senator Aruwa, who died in December 2018, was a notable Kaduna politician and sports enthusiast, credited with nurturing Ranchers Bees FC into one of Northern Nigeria’s most popular football clubs.