News in brief:
– Miyetti Allah reports massive losses in northern Nigeria, with 50,000 people and four million cattle affected.
– The group urges a shift to community-based security strategies and supports the new Livestock Ministry initiative.
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has raised alarm over the deepening crisis in northern Nigeria, revealing that ongoing violence in the region has led to the death of over 50,000 people and the loss of nearly four million cattle.
Speaking at a press conference in Kaduna on Saturday, MACBAN President, Alhaji Baba Othman Ngelzarma, through the association’s National Secretary-General, Bello Gotomo, said that the current security approach has failed to stem the tide of killings and destruction in the region.
Pastoralist communities worst hit
Ngelzarma emphasised that pastoralist communities have suffered disproportionately, with devastating consequences for food security, economic stability, and communal harmony.
“We have tragically lost over 50,000 individuals and an estimated four million heads of cattle in this relentless violence,” he said. “We firmly believe that dialogue offers the most viable path toward a sustainable resolution.”
He highlighted that in addition to the livestock and civilian casualties, MACBAN had lost 12 of its state and local chapter leaders, including the newly elected chairmen in Katsina and Kwara states.
Military action is not enough, recommends dialogue
The association called for a shift away from reliance on military intervention, urging the Federal Government and stakeholders to invest in locally driven, inclusive security strategies.
Ngelzarma praised the Kaduna State Government’s use of community engagement strategies, noting that such efforts have helped reduce tensions in previously volatile areas.
“A truly effective security framework must be inclusive, ensuring the participation and protection of all law-abiding residents, irrespective of their ethnicity or background,” he added.
According to MACBAN, building trust and encouraging grassroots intelligence sharing is key to separating criminal actors from law-abiding pastoralists and fostering long-term peace.
Hope for livestock ministry and UN initiative
The association expressed optimism over the Federal Government’s establishment of a Ministry of Livestock Development, describing it as a potentially transformative step.
“A genuine and proactive buy-in to this initiative has the potential to unlock a multi-trillion-naira value chain, offering a tangible panacea to the very conflicts we are witnessing,” Gotomo stated.
MACBAN also urged the government to align national policies with the upcoming United Nations International Year of Pastoralism and Rangelands in 2026, which aims to promote sustainable livestock practices, environmental conservation, and food security.
Call for renewed probe into missing vice president
On a separate note, MACBAN demanded that security agencies reopen the stalled investigation into the disappearance of its National Vice President, Munir Atiku Lamido, who went missing two years ago.
Despite the recovery of his vehicle and mobile phones, the case has seen little progress, Gotomo said.
“We appeal for the security agencies to reopen the case and use modern technology to track down the perpetrators,” he added.
In closing, the association reiterated its commitment to supporting the government with grassroots insights and policy recommendations aimed at resolving the protracted violence affecting the livestock sector and rural communities.
“We stand ready to support the government with insights drawn from our extensive experience and grassroots interactions,” Gotomo concluded.
