THE Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has criticised the newly proposed United States (U.S) House Resolution 860, accusing American lawmakers of misrepresenting pastoralists and ignoring their long history of suffering.
MACBAN President, Baba Ngelzarma, at a press briefing held on Sunday, 16 November, called on the U.S. government to amend the resolution, which proposes sanctions, including visa restrictions and asset freezes against individuals and groups allegedly involved in religious persecution.
The association argued that the measure fails to recognise that pastoralists are among the groups most affected by violent conflicts in Nigeria’s rural areas.
MACBAN’s statement was in response to the filing of H.Res. 860 in the 119th U.S. Congress by Representative Christopher Smith, with Bill Huizenga as co-sponsor.
The resolution proposes sanctions such as visa restrictions and asset freezes targeted at MACBAN and other Fulani-led groups, as stated on the US Congress website.
It also advises that Fulani-Ethnic Militias operating in states like Benue and Plateau be added to the Entities of Particular Concern list under the International Religious Freedom Act.
MACBAN, however, rejected any association with terrorist groups and reiterated its condemnation of all forms of terrorism in Nigeria.
“MACBAN respectfully calls for revising H.R. 860 to remove all mention of MACBAN. We wish to state clearly and without ambiguity: MACBAN does not support, condone, harbour, finance, or protect any form of criminality, extremism, or violence.
MACBAN is not and has never been an armed group or violent organisation. We condemn in the strongest possible terms banditry, cattle rustling, kidnapping, terrorism, or any crime whatsoever,” MACBAN president said.
Ngelzarma maintained that rural insecurity in Nigeria had also taken a heavy toll on pastoralists, saying thousands were killed between 2015 and 2025 by cattle rustlers, bandits, armed vigilantes, militias and extremist groups.
He cited verified figures showing that more than 18,640 pastoralists were killed within the period, about 1,298,802 displaced, 87,543 houses destroyed, and over 1,114,519 cattle rustled or slaughtered, with an additional 656,555 small ruminants lost across 17 states.
MACBAN described these figures as both a profound human tragedy and a significant setback for Nigeria’s livestock sector and food systems. The association urged the U.S and other international actors to take these “human and economic losses” into account when evaluating the pastoralist community.
The group also drew attention to what it called targeted assassinations, noting that several of its officials who assisted security agencies in uncovering criminal networks had been killed, including its state chairmen in Nasarawa, Katsina, Kogi and Plateau, while others had been threatened for refusing to protect offenders.
While calling for caution on profiling the group, Ngelzema added that the National Vice President (I), Munnir Atiku Lamid, has been missing since June 2023 after disappearing while travelling from Katsina to Kaduna.
He stressed that portraying the entire pastoralist population as criminals reflects a misunderstanding that risks deepening their stigmatisation.
MACBAN appealed to the U.S. Congress to consult credible local actors, including pastoralists, farmers, civil society groups, and security agencies, when carrying out assessments.
The group also called for evidence-driven evaluations that factor in the humanitarian impact on pastoralists and advocated sustained investment in pastoralist infrastructure such as grazing reserves, veterinary care, water supply, healthcare, and education.
“We do not seek protection because we are violent; we ask for support because we are under threat,” MACBAN said.
The group further reiterated its dedication to peace-building and unity, and urged that the pastoral majority should not be profiled because of the actions of a few criminals.
Fatimah Quadri is a Journalist and a Fact-checker at The ICIR. She has written news articles, fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy in an effort to combat information disorder.
She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or fquadri@icirnigeria.org