The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has firmly denied any involvement in banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, or cattle rustling, insisting it has never supported violence in Nigeria.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Sunday, February 15, MACBAN’s National President, Alhaja Baba Ngelzarma, addressed concerns surrounding H.R. 7457 – Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026, a bill currently before the United States Congress.
The proposed legislation, introduced in the US House of Representatives by Reps Chris Smith, Riley Moore, Brian Mast, and Bill Huizenga, recommends visa bans and asset freezes under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
Among those named for potential sanctions are MACBAN and other individuals and groups accused of involvement in religious freedom violations.
Part of the bill states: “The Department of State and the Department of the Treasury should impose targeted sanctions, including visa bans and asset freezes under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, on individuals or entities responsible for severe religious freedom violations, including Fulani-ethnic nomad militias in Nigeria; Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former Kano State Governor; Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN); and (D) Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore,” part of the bill reads.
Responding to the development, Ngelzarma said no court, either in Nigeria or abroad, had ever convicted or indicted MACBAN for terrorism or criminal activity.
“While we acknowledge the sovereign right of the United States to deliberate on religious freedom and human rights, we are concerned by narratives linking MACBAN with terrorism.
“We categorically reject such insinuations as false, unfounded, and injurious to the integrity of a duly registered national association,” he said.
He explained that MACBAN was established in 1986 and is legally registered under Nigerian law, operating with elected leadership structures at national, state, and local levels.
“For over four decades, we have operated openly with national, state, and local structures, and executives democratically elected every four years.
“We are recognised by federal and state governments as stakeholders in livestock development, pastoral welfare, and conflict mediation.
“Our members contribute significantly to Nigeria’s protein supply and rural economy,” he said.
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Ngelzarma warned that blacklisting legitimate organisations could have wider economic consequences, including trade disruptions and further marginalisation of already vulnerable communities.
He also stressed that pastoralists themselves have suffered from criminal violence.
“In 2025 alone, at least eight of our state leaders were killed by criminal elements. These tragedies show we are victims of insecurity, not perpetrators,” he said.
Calling for diplomatic intervention, he appealed to Nigeria’s Senate Committees on Foreign Affairs and National Security and Intelligence to pass a resolution correcting what he described as a mischaracterisation of the association.
He further urged the use of parliamentary diplomatic channels to engage US lawmakers.
“MACBAN calls on the President of the Senate and the National Assembly to intervene legislatively to safeguard the integrity of Nigerian institutions,” he said.
He cautioned that failure to address the issue could harm Nigeria’s international image and embolden what he termed sanctions-based targeting.
Ngelzarma also appealed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the National Security Adviser to initiate urgent diplomatic engagement with US authorities.
“We request that this matter be elevated within bilateral security dialogues to ensure counterterrorism cooperation is not premised on false equivalences.
“Nigeria’s security architecture must not be undermined by external narratives that disregard domestic judicial processes and lawful institutional status,” he said.
He concluded by urging responsible reporting from both Nigerian and international media.
“Complex security challenges require nuanced coverage, not generalised profiling of entire communities.
“MACBAN remains committed to national unity, constitutional order, peaceful coexistence, livestock modernisation, and cooperation with security agencies,” he said.