The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria has distanced the Fulani community from criminal groups operating across the country, insisting that armed bandits and militants do not represent the millions of peaceful Fulani citizens in Nigeria.
The association was reacting to a recent report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, which claimed that about 30,000 armed Fulani militants are currently operating across Nigeria in groups ranging from 10 to 1,000 members.
The USCIRF report further alleged that the militants had become some of the deadliest non-state actors responsible for religious freedom violations in the country.
Responding in a statement on Friday, MACBAN National President, Baba Ngelzarma, rejected attempts to generalise the actions of criminal elements to the wider Fulani population.
“We state categorically that the estimated 30,000 active militants and bandits cited in the USCIRF brief do not, and will never, represent the 14.5 million peaceful Fulani citizens of this country,” the statement read in part.
Ngelzarma maintained that law-abiding pastoralists have themselves become victims of criminal activities, including cattle rustling, kidnappings and retaliatory violence.
“As MACBAN has stated 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,” he added.
The association stressed that it would neither shield nor defend individuals involved in criminality.
“MACBAN will not shield, make excuses for, or tolerate any individual or group engaging in violent criminality,” the statement noted.
The group also disclosed that it had directed its zonal and state branches to strengthen intelligence-sharing arrangements with security agencies and traditional rulers to help identify and apprehend criminal elements operating in forests and border communities.
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“We are actively directing our zonal and state branches to formalise and deepen closed-door intelligence-sharing channels with federal security forces and local traditional rulers,” the association stated.
“We pledge our full cooperation to help law enforcement detect, isolate and flush out criminal elements using our forests and borderlands as cover.”
MACBAN further condemned terrorism, banditry and targeted killings across the country, regardless of the ethnic or religious identity of those responsible.
The association warned against ethnic profiling and collective stigmatisation of pastoralists, arguing that such narratives could undermine national unity and efforts to address insecurity.
It also called on the Federal Government and development partners to intensify support for livestock modernisation initiatives, including ranching, as part of efforts to reduce conflicts linked to open grazing.
According to the association, sustainable peace can only be achieved through justice, dialogue, security cooperation and economic reforms that address the root causes of violent conflict across Nigeria.