The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria has raised alarm over the worsening insecurity across the country, lamenting its impact on herders and their families.
According to the association, no fewer than 15,000 pastoralists and their dependents have fled Nigeria as a result of the prevailing security challenges.
The national president of MACBAN, Alhaji Baba Nglzarma, disclosed this in Ilorin while speaking with journalists at the inauguration of the newly elected Kwara State chairman of the association, Alhaji Shehu Garba.
He explained that Fulani herders remain the worst hit by violent crimes such as cattle rustling, kidnapping, banditry, and terrorism.
Nglzarma revealed that more than 40,000 cattle have been lost to rustlers, with many Fulani lives also cut short due to insecurity.
The MACBAN leader stressed the need for a collective, community-driven approach involving all stakeholders to effectively tackle the situation.
He also rejected what he described as the ethnic profiling of Fulani people, cautioning the public against taking social media narratives as facts.
Nglzarma further called for stronger collaboration among host communities, indigenous Fulani, and other relevant stakeholders to create lasting solutions that will curb insecurity to the barest minimum.
He noted that Fulani leadership is already engaging with stakeholders to promote peaceful coexistence nationwide.
“The leadership of the association is also finding solutions to put an end to the situation whereby herders continue to wander about with their cattle. We’ve found out that the practice is no longer sustainable because of the increasing population. We’re looking at having a single herders’ settlement. Everyone wants to enjoy life,” he said.