The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria has pushed back against allegations linking the Fulani ethnic group to armed militancy and banditry, saying it is unfair to judge millions of people by the actions of a criminal minority.
The group’s reaction followed a report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, which claimed that around 30,000 armed Fulani militants are operating in various parts of Nigeria and contributing to religious freedom violations.
Responding on Friday, MACBAN President Baba Ngelzarma said the figure cited in the report should not be used to characterise the entire Fulani population, estimated at over 14 million people nationwide.
He argued that peaceful Fulani herders are frequently victims of the same insecurity affecting other Nigerians, including cattle theft, kidnappings and violent reprisals.
“As MACBAN has posited in several reports and statements, law-abiding pastoralists are themselves primary victims of these criminal syndicates, routinely suffering from cattle rustling, mass abductions, and retaliatory violence,” the statement read.
Ngelzarma stressed that the association has zero tolerance for criminality and would not defend individuals involved in violence.
“MACBAN will not shield, make excuses for, or tolerate any individual or group engaging in violent criminality,” it stated.
To strengthen efforts against insecurity, the association said it is encouraging closer collaboration between its state and zonal branches, security agencies and traditional rulers through intelligence sharing and community engagement.
“We are actively directing our zonal and state branches to formalize and deepen closed-door intelligence-sharing channels with federal security forces and local traditional rulers.
“We pledge our full cooperation to help law enforcement detect, isolate, and flush out criminal elements using our forests and borderlands as cover,” the association added.
MACBAN also denounced terrorism, bandit attacks and killings across the country, warning that ethnic stereotyping could worsen divisions and undermine security operations.
The association called for broader reforms in the livestock industry, particularly the adoption of ranching, which it believes could reduce conflicts associated with open grazing.
According to the group, lasting peace will require a combination of justice, dialogue, security cooperation and economic initiatives that address the root causes of violence.